Storage solutions: ak41984
Posted by Huw,
Adam, aka ak41984, shows us round his LEGO city:
I have been collecting LEGO for as long as I can remember. When I was only a few years old I recall playing with LEGO, Lincoln logs, and metal connector sets. However, I gravitated towards LEGO. When I was 7 or so my dad built my a 6 ft by 8 ft table to build my first LEGO city which I added to until I was 13 or so and entered my dark ages.
When I was in college I got back into LEGO, and in 2008 I bought a ranch house which had a large basement which I quickly finished and set aside about 1/3 of basement or 450 Sq ft for LEGO room, which I quickly realised wasn’t even close enough to the space I needed. I later took over the one bedroom in the basement as a build room.
After I got it setup I continued to buy a lot of LEGO but didn't build much due to lack of space.
Then, in 2017 Purchased a 140-year-old Victorian second empire home, so the basement was not an option this time. Even though it was by far big enough it had hand-cut floor joists, low ceilings, damp, bugs and a load of other problems which made it not feasible.
So there was a need for a different space for LEGO. Thus my “LEGO house” was born. About a year after moving I started construction of a new building. It’s build as a carriage house in traditional terms, and about 4,000 Sq ft I divided it into 1/3s: a 4 car garage a LEGO space, and final third for the guest quarters to keep my other half happy.
After several setbacks LEGO moved finally from the old house in March/April 2020 and now have LEGO city 2.0. Keep in mind it’s still a work in progress and has a long way to go. Even with 450 Sq ft of just table space it quickly filled up. However, I still have all the underside of the tables open for trains and over flow and have an intermediate level that’s going to be some sort underground level/hidden city.
As far as organising bricks, I’m sorely lacking in that area. Anyone in the Pittsburgh area want to organise LEGO after quarantine is over? I’m serious!
As you see I have all mine MISBs on the perimeter of the room. I think eventually these will be replaced with LEGO models on Ikea shelves. One day....
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18 comments on this article
You build an extra house for your lego. It's official you are my new idol.
Sadly I live in the Netherlands so I can't help you organize your lego.
Oh my word
Wow, it is a lot of impressive work! Good lluck with brick sorting!
I've never seen anything like that. Can't stop my drooling now
Well it’s also a garage and guest space. Till the pending duplo invasion one day for more space. I have learned with LEGO and garage space if you build it. It will be filled before it’s complete. Some type of law of physics or something like that.
I’m not sure which I’m more jealous of, the LEGO room or the Victorian.
I keep joking (hinting) to my other half about turning our carport into a garage with Lego studio above. Your room is an inspiration but you have so much Lego, I don't think I will share photos. Happy sorting!
I’m in CA, but travel back east from time to time. Would love to help organize and drool over 2.0 at the same time!
You, my dear sir, are living the dream!
Crikey, most of my friends have their whole living space smaller than your Lego room.
@Legoguy29 said:
"I’m not sure which I’m more jealous of, the LEGO room or the Victorian. "
Also, 4 car garage, not bad!!
I can only say WOW. And I thought my father's 4x8 sheet of plywood (formerly for his Lionel trains) was the best Lego Town space I knew of. I feel as though I could be lost for weeks in your Lego space (and that is a good thing). Anyway, just on the other side of the state here, near Pottsville, PA. I live to sort and organize.
@calculus_teacher said:
"I can only say WOW. And I thought my father's 4x8 sheet of plywood (formerly for his Lionel trains) was the best Lego Town space I knew of. I feel as though I could be lost for weeks in your Lego space (and that is a good thing). Anyway, just on the other side of the state here, near Pottsville, PA. I live to sort and organize."
My buddy just ordered a JD tractor key from Pottsville last week. Small world.
@iriz said:
" @Legoguy29 said:
"I’m not sure which I’m more jealous of, the LEGO room or the Victorian. "
Also, 4 car garage, not bad!!"
You should lean towards the legos. The Victorian is never ending maintenance in a lot of ways. Very very similar design to 10228 monster house. The roof is a tons of work in its own right and I’m a contractor by trade saying this.
Jealous Jealous Jealous....this my ultimate dream of winning the Lotto and finally being able to build my house big enough for my collection.
I know the following has nothing to do with the article or the discussion above, but I need to vent this out of my system, so feel free to skip this over, I don't care.
Reading this article (and some of the others before) gave me a mild anxiety attack. It's not Adam's fault, but seeing that he can afford to have a second house just for the LEGO collection and four cars. Meanwhile, my wife and I (a doctor and an engineer) will have to work and save in the next 17 years (not a guesstimate, actual calculation) in order to be able to buy a house that will just be large enough for two kids, nevermind any LEGO storage place. (Our "dream" houses have about half of the floor space as this LEGO house.) Of course, we don't have that much time, so loans it will be. Which means much more years of work. And that's only for a simple house, with many required renovations, in a remote place, so it'll necessitate having at least one car as well. So even more years of work to pay for those. But of course, during all these years, barely any LEGO will be bought, so it all evens out eventually...
Joining the others, I'm happy for you but incredibly jealous at the same time, and angry at a world in which such differences may exist. And then I have to remind myself that I'm still a white male in the first world, so probably 99% of humanity has it worse off than me. I guess should stop reading these articles though, as they tend to leave a bitter aftertaste :(
I can't help but be impressed by the utter madness you have created. Showed all the images to my wife and daughter by way of justifying building an extension to my house but they're not buying it. I salute you sir ....
@thehornedrat said:
"Had to google those terms, ranch house and carriage house...
So it looks like you're building a smaller carriage house, next to your residence ranch house?
Still does not diminish the incredulous/incredible fact that you're literally building a house to house your collection (pun intended)!!!"
Lego room 1.0 was in ranch basement. Moved to a old Victorian. Built carriage house for trucks and legos! Does have a sense of irony doesn’t it.