LEGO Ideas 21346 Family Tree designer reveals set’s many secrets
There’s much more to LEGO Ideas 21346 Family Tree than initially meets the eye, as the set’s designer breaks down the model’s many secrets.
In just over a week’s time you’ll be able to pick up the next LEGO Ideas model, with 21346 Family Tree launching on February 1 priced at £79.99 / $79.99 / €89.99. The 1,040-piece set is based on an original concept by fan designer Ivan Guerrero and was the winning entry in a 2022 contest hosted in partnership with Target.
Despite a number of changes and one thing missing, 21346 Family Tree stays pretty faithful to its source material and could be the most accurate LEGO Ideas set to date. On top of everything we already know about the model, the build also contains a number of secrets and firsts, which were revealed to Brick Fanatics by Ivan in a recent fan media roundtable.
“When I originally submitted my idea, one of the things I was really thinking about was how to make it different from other LEGO Ideas tree projects,” said Ivan. “For instance, 21318 Tree House or 21326 Winnie the Pooh, plus 10281 Bonsai Tree had just come out too.”
“I was very conscious of trying to find a look for a tree that was strikingly different from other sets, so I began playing around with various colour palettes,” he added. “Initially, I started off with a white tree and white trunk and slowly made my way through a number of colours. Eventually, I settled on a look that’s a little bit inspired by one of the artists I really admire – Mary Blair. She’s a Disney artist and well-known for the It’s a Small World ride and such classic films as Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.”
Ivan went on to discuss how there’s also a new colour for an existing piece included with 21346 Family Tree, one that makes its debut in the LEGO Ideas set. “Red leaf elements are kind of hard to come by, so they’re great additional pieces for fans who might want to make little forest areas in their diorama,” said Ivan.
“This set gave us the perfect opportunity to change the small leaf element to red for the first time. We’ve introduced a new colour in this build that’s coming to the LEGO portfolio this year called Red Orange colour 402, which we’ve used for a flower in this set, as well as the photo holders and the rings on the photo holders.”
In addition to the striking colour scheme and new elements, there’s also another secret hidden within 21346 Family Tree that has yet to be revealed in full. “In the build, there’s one more Easter egg,” Ivan explained. “I’m not going to reveal exactly what it is, but as you’re building the trunk of the tree, there’s a little bit of space to put an extra something in there. So you can look forward to finding out what that is when you build the model!”
21346 Family Tree will be released on February 1 for £79.99 / $79.99 / €89.99 and the LEGO Ideas set can be pre-ordered right now.
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- From video game journalism to kids’ publishing, I’ve been there, seen it, done it and worn the T-shirt. I was also the editor of the first-ever official LEGO magazine way back when, LEGO Adventures. I have a passion for movies, comic books, tech and video games, with a wallet that’s struggling to keep up with my LEGO set wish list.
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