LEGO has just released a brand new addition to their lodges and cabins. This one comes from the IDEAs range and focuses on the theme of escapism and natural elements via a rustic A-frame building and additional features.
With so many wooden lodges and cabins out there, both in official LEGO sets and MOC models, what makes this LEGO IDEAS Cabin so special? Is it worth adding to a collection? This LEGO A-Frame Cabin Review can help.
Also Read: Light Up Lego A-Frame Cabin 21338
An IDEAS Set That Creates The Perfect Wilderness Getaway
As this is an IDEAS model, it came from the mind of a fan designer rather than the LEGO team. Andrea Lattanzio wanted to recreate a LEGO brick version of the dream A-frame cabin he wished he lived in. This idea led to this detailed build that incorporates the large wooden structure and its room with a more delicate and inviting natural setting. The addition of minifigures taking part in activities then helps builders recreate that sense of escapism and adventure with ease.
Great Thematic Features Throughout The A-Frame Cabin
This cabin makes a great first impression from the outside. The A-frame shape is dramatic, giving it a different look from other wooden lodges LEGO has on offer. The darker roof covers two stories of wooden slats with inset windows for a great view. The front door opens out onto a small porch area, which makes a feature of the stone foundation and has a simple wooden staircase.
There are also small outdoor areas to the sides beneath the trees. There is a storage area for firewood, complete with little ringed logs and an axe. On the other side, there is a natural area with stones, plants, and mushrooms. The tones here are soothing and pleasing to adult builders looking to escape in the wilderness.
That idea of an outdoor retreat doesn't end there. There are also lots of great features inside the cabin to make it cozy and practical for the inhabitants. The large roof panel easily comes away to reveal the downstairs kitchen and study areas and the upstairs bedroom.
The study area has a typewriter for those escaping to write in solitude, the kitchen has a coffee maker for those early morning hikes, and the bedroom has a comfortable bed for a good night's sleep. The downside for the guests is the bathroom situation, with is basically a shower head and a shovel out the back. It is a fun detail for builders though.
The Living Beings Tie The Set Together
Normally, when talking about the inhabitants of a set, we'd just be talking about minifigures. Here, there is more to the nature-themed set. The people are important and let builders interact with all those different rooms and features.
There is the avid photographer with her camera, a birdwatcher with his binoculars, a canoeist, and a hiker that looks suspiciously like Ron Swanson. The birdwatcher can enjoy searching for little colorful bird figures in the trees, while the photographer can try and capture the pretty butterflies and the elusive red squirrel. There is even a cute otter that may swim past the canoeist.
The attention to detail on these natural elements is impressive. There are little attachment points across the cabin for the butterflies. The trees also have a more authentic shape with lots of autumnal tones. You could make one red, another yellow, and the third green, or you could mix the leaves up.
There Isn't Much Of An Outdoors Area
One downside that is worth pointing out here is the lack of an outside area around the cabin. The trees and other features are great, but once the characters step off of the front steps they end up in that void between LEGO sets. A larger base plate might have been nice to create a path to the log pile and more room for planting. It also means that the canoe accessory floats on nothing. Still, this would have meant a lot more brick in this set that's already got over 2000. It would have increased the price tag too.
The price isn't cheap, and some feel it might be a little high for an IDEAS model. Still, there is a lot to put together, and the fiddly 18+ set will occupy a lot of time Some builders would have also liked a bit more height and extra foliage on the taller trees, but that's a small criticism.
Enhance The Set With A LEGO A-Frame Cabin 21338 Light Kit
One way to make a set like this even more beautiful and inviting is to add lights. Warm LEDs would provide a soft glow to the exterior that would accentuate the windows and look great at night. It would also have those writer characters working hard at the typewriter into the early hours. Additional LEDs across the exterior porch and nature area would highlight the shapes and features and let the trees sparkle with life.
Our light kit for the LEGO A-frame Cabin is easy to install with high-quality lights to show off this creation. You get just enough to enhance the design but not so much to take away from the soft rural theme. After all, this is a gentle escape into the wilderness.
The Final Verdict Of This LEGO A-Frame Cabin Review
Overall, this is an impressive set from this fan designer. They have clearly put a lot of thought into the concept and the representation of that dream of a rural retreat. The attention to detail in the interior and the natural elements makes it easy to lose yourself in this world. No other set lets you decorate with butterflies like this. From there, the engaging minifigures tell the story perfectly and allow for plenty of staging ideas.
The LEGO A-Frame Cabin Set might be fiddly to put together and a little costly, but you do get a lot for your money. It is a unique and charming addition to any nature-themed LEGO collection.
