Review: 42693 Creative Flower Shop
Posted by MeganL,
Botanicals aren't just popular with AFOLs - apparently they're popular in the Friends world, too. Just last year we had the beautiful (but pricy) 42671 Plant Cafe & Flower Shop, The Friends team has followed that up with 42693 Creative Flower Shop, which, while not as big, looks to be just as charming. It's also in that $30 set sweet spot, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the set has in store.
Summary
42693 Creative Flower Shop, 377 pieces.
£24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99 | 6.6p, 8.0c, 8.0c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
A charming set filled to the brim with flowers
- So many floral pieces!
- Nice use of curved transparent pieces
- Very pretty architecture
- None
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Inside the box there are three numbered bags, one 16x16 plate and one 8x16 plate, an instruction book, and a small sticker sheet. It looks like the stickers aren't all that intrinsic to the set, which to me is a sign that the set could be built without them.
Minidolls
There are two minidolls in this set - Nova and Astrid. Nova has been in a lot of sets I've built lately, that's not by design! She's wearing a sleeveless hoodie that we've seen before but it's one of my favourites, with the dachshund that wraps around the shirt. So cute!
Astrid is flower shopping in a tank top and jeans, and a fashionable sun visor in her hair. Flower shopping must be serious business, as there are no cute Friends animals in this set - not even Pickle!
The completed model
The only side build (if you can call it that) in the set is this purple tandem bicycle, which we originally saw in 42689 Heartlake City Friends Club House. I'm not sure why Nova and Astrid would be cycling together, but it's a nice delivery vehicle with a pretty floral decoration on the front.
The shop's purpose is quite clear, as there are flowers everywhere! Several adorn the roof over the pretty pink and white awning. There's a planter filled with blooms on the corner, and several decorate the large sign over the front door. A few more are in the raised floral bed underneath the display window. Sharp eyed readers will notice that the purple tulip has no foliage; that's because my copy arrived short one leaf element.
The front door is set at an angle from the front which makes it a bit more visually interesting. I really like all the flowers around the sign. A small street sign posts the special of the day.
Off to the side, there's another pretty display area (I hesitate to call it a greenhouse as it's not enclosed) that has attracted a butterfly. It also makes nice use of the relatively new curved transparent plates.
The back of this area of the shop isn't quite as pretty, but does show off two vases filled with greenery, ready for blooms to be added. The vase pieces are new to me, and fit their purpose perfectly.
I like the continuity of the pavement tiles that continue through the store.
The main area of the store is filled with more blooms. There's a lovely bouquet in the window, and some smaller bouquets on the display tables.
Dominating this space is a lovely floral wall filled with all kinds of blooms, ready to customise any bouquet.
It seems I built the second wave sets in the wrong order. It seems clear that Astrid came to visit the flower shop in order to select her bridal bouquet that we see in 42704 Heartlake City Grand Hotel. She has some assistance in choosing her floral arrangement, and now I understand why she had a wedding-crasher.
(Note: floral-choosing sloth and axolotl not included in this set.)
Overall thoughts
This is such a pretty little set! While it's not quite as ornate as 42671, it does come in at a third of the price and gives a lot of the same floral vibes. Like most of these sets, I wish there was another minidoll included, but the set is so pretty I can forgive that.
The price point for this is excellent, though one can argue that many of the pieces are quite small due to the sheer number of floral pieces included. But that is also one of its strengths - if you're looking for a lot of floral pieces, this reasonably priced set might be the one for you. The fact that there's a tandem bike, rounded clear transparent panels, and more interesting parts (a parts list is here) is a bonus.
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23 comments on this article
This set was one of the first sets I picked up at one of the big mid-year Australian toy sales. It's just so pretty and so colourful. One of my favourite Friends sets this year.
For the bouquets at the back (that are empty, waiting for you to decorate them with flowers from the shop)? I raided flower and plant pieces from my spare parts bin, and decorated them that way.
The only criticism I have for the building is the lack of a wall on the far side behind the cash register. You could very easily have made that into a solid wall (or even something as simple as using a clear wall panel).
@MeganL the street sign posts sticker needs reapplying
This set is super cute, usually I wait for a discount or sale to buy LEGO these days, but this is def a day one buy for me.
There's a negative in nearly all the Friends buildings that should not be overlooked in reviews. It used to be that the set design for open back buildings had a roof extension over the top of the set, even when open at the back. Friend sets always frustratingly omit the roof. I would buy two sets prior to this omission and be able to construct my own complete and enclosed building, but no more. I view this as a negative as they look like incomplete facades without any rooftop structures.
+ Lovely, colourful set
+ Fits any street-build, especially on a budget
+ As noted, budget-friendly
+ Useful and/or attractive recolours of some newer pieces
- Shop does not appear to be selling carnations, wreaths
- Nova may have made the journey for nothing
- Where is Pickles, Nova?
- We will find out sooner or later, Nova
Those clear vases are a really clever recolour and reuse for the broom head piece 90826 ( https://brickset.com/parts/design-90826 ). The other is the new smaller boulder recoloured 8079 and 8080 (https://rebrickable.com/parts/8079/ and https://rebrickable.com/parts/8080).
Sorry, but the spring yellowish green is too gaudy for me. Friends doesn't need neon esque colors to be colorful! Just look at last year's flower shop! It completely distracts from the otherwise lovely shop. I mean, why are (some parts of) the walls more intense than the flowers sold inside?
That gripe aside, I like it. The price is decent for a shop like this.
@Rimefang said:
"There's a negative in nearly all the Friends buildings that should not be overlooked in reviews. It used to be that the set design for open back buildings had a roof extension over the top of the set, even when open at the back. Friend sets always frustratingly omit the roof. I would buy two sets prior to this omission and be able to construct my own complete and enclosed building, but no more. I view this as a negative as they look like incomplete facades without any rooftop structures. "
These are sets aimed at 7-year olds to PLAY with. Kids don't need roofs to have fun with LEGO. In fact, it's much easier to play with this set without a roof obstructing access to the inside.
I think it looks quite charming, even if I think the entire flower industry is quite problematic and totally unnecessary. But this set is great for the target audience.
This is such a crazy set. So many plants, so many GOOD buidling pieces!
More shops sets need to have such variety and size!
LOVE these new small rock pieces! The top can be put on ground to create laying stones <3
Does the tandem bike also work for minifigs? This is a great set you could use as the start of a more complete building for a city, but I don't have any interest in the minidolls.
I only came here to find out what an Uncreative Flower Shop might be. Inquiring minds want to know.
@Crux said:
"- Where is Pickles, Nova?"
At the bottom of the pool. But was it an accident? Negligence? Or…something more sinister?
@AllenSmith said:
"I only came here to find out what an Uncreative Flower Shop might be. Inquiring minds want to know."
I came here preparing to be disappointed in the lack of a picture of sloths riding the tandem bike. And I was not disappointed in, uh…my disappointment.
Oohhhh, I do like those blue opalescent mini rock pieces. Perfect for the latest City Space theme!
I said I wouldn't buy LEGO anymore, but those pieces are cool.
I have a question about that tamdem bicycle: how well do regular minifigures sit on it?
@Binnekamp said:
"Sorry, but the spring yellowish green is too gaudy for me. Friends doesn't need neon esque colors to be colorful! Just look at last year's flower shop! It completely distracts from the otherwise lovely shop. I mean, why are (some parts of) the walls more intense than the flowers sold inside?
That gripe aside, I like it. The price is decent for a shop like this."
I personally wouldn't consider spring yellowish green "neon-esque". I feel like it's more of a pastel shade, like light royal blue, lavender, light pink, or cool yellow. When you pair it with white like in this building I feel like it works perfectly fine for a building exterior.
Is that a mini version of 10345 in the window? ;)
I bought this set early on this year and the main reasons were the tandem bike which works for minifigs as well if you change the handle bars to the minifig version and that hairpiece with the integrated cap. I hate minidolls but the hairpieces are magic sometimes!
Altough i added a second floor with a small apartment and a roof with a garden including a palmtree. It gives me Paradisa vibes! I love it! Great set to start a corner building of! I absolutely recomend this set even with the freakin me out minido!ls.
Discounts are huge on this as well, at least in germany.
@lotographia said:
"I have a question about that tamdem bicycle: how well do regular minifigures sit on it?"
If you change the bikes handlebars to the minifig ones, it will work with minifigs. Otherwise the minifigs hands could not attach to the steering in the way a person would hold it. The handlebar would face downwards the ground. Normal for a minidoll though, not for a minifig since they can rotatae their hands.
So you dont even need to change the handlebar if you are ok with it facing the ground, but i highly recommend swapping them!
@AllenSmith said:
"I only came here to find out what an Uncreative Flower Shop might be. Inquiring minds want to know.
@Crux said:
"- Where is Pickles, Nova?"
At the bottom of the pool. But was it an accident? Negligence? Or…something more sinister?"
A 'negligcident'.
I don't much care for that image of Nova holding those scissors. 43301 came out not too long ago, and I don't think we should be giving her any ideas.
@Oli said:
" @lotographia said:
"I have a question about that tamdem bicycle: how well do regular minifigures sit on it?"
If you change the bikes handlebars to the minifig ones, it will work with minifigs"
Thanks! I assumed the bike would work with regular minifigs because it seems unlikely that Lego would produce a piece like this for minidolls alone, but the only sets that include this piece are for minidolls so I had my doubts.
Now I can order this piece for my city!
@lotographia said:
" @Oli said:
" @lotographia said:
"I have a question about that tamdem bicycle: how well do regular minifigures sit on it?"
If you change the bikes handlebars to the minifig ones, it will work with minifigs"
Thanks! I assumed the bike would work with regular minifigs because it seems unlikely that Lego would produce a piece like this for minidolls alone, but the only sets that include this piece are for minidolls so I had my doubts.
Now I can order this piece for my city!"
Yes! You will not regret it, especialy if you own similar parts to make it bigger! The motorscooters from the friends theme work the same as well, switch the handlebars and your minifig is good to go
I like this set. I see it as part of my City, combined with 60497 as one flower shop.
Can you help me? Is there some sets with nice flower, plants, trees - flora, for making a City more green, and colorful? I was thinking like 40957
In my City I have one garden made of 2x 41757
This would look great if LEGO still produced proper trans-clear pieces.
But since they decided to go with that ugly Lepin-like trans-milk material this is an easy pass for me.