What's happening now?
585Unique parts
1,912Total parts
7Stickers
Series 5 Updates:
The Antique Shop has gone through several renovations since BDP Series 4! The most noticeable change is the tree moving from a dark, autumn-colored theme to a bright, spring-colored theme. The bright colors of the Lime and Coral pieces give the shop a really nice pop of color. The 1st floor has been made slightly taller, and the whole building has been expanded by 2 studs to allow for a matching window and awning on both sides of the door. Speaking of the awning design, there's a small update adding rounded tiles hanging in the front that really add to the storefront feel. The base of the model was also modified to use fewer, but larger plates to simplify the build. Due to some palette changes , the color of the truck was changed from Dark Turquoise to Bright Light Orange. There are some new antiques (Hutch, TV, Ship, and more!) and some other minor structural improvements throughout!
The Story:
Welcome to the Antique Shop! Located in the heart of a small
town, this charming Antique Shop is sure to have exactly what
you’re looking for. The shopkeeper who lives on the 2nd floor
converted his house so that he could buy and sell antiques, and he
operates the shop himself. He even offers delivery on some of the
larger items using his pickup truck! Feel free to browse around
where you’ll find a wide variety of antiques including; a record
player, sewing machine, vintage dishes and glassware, grandfather
clock, and so much more!. There's something for everyone at the
Antique Shop!
Main features include:
Fully accessible interior with removable 2nd floor
Both front and back roof panels are removable
Shopkeeper’s pickup truck with working tailgate, fits 1 minifigure
‘Antique Shop’ sign on the corner can be swiveled to display on either the front or side of the building, or at any angle in between
Multiple built antiques, as well as a large variety of wall art and individual element antiques
Detailed exterior on each side, so that this model can be displayed from any angle
Model Information:
1,912 Pieces
8 stickers used (7 unique stickers)
5 minifigures (The Shopkeeper, and a family of 4 visiting the shop)
3 animals (2 Birds, and Squirvels the Squirrel)
Hello! My name is Steve, and I’m the designer of the Antique Shop. I’m 30 years old, and I’m from Milwaukee, WI. LEGO has always been a big part of my life, like many of you reading this, I’m sure! I grew up playing with Bionicle, Knights Kingdom, Exo-Force, Star Wars, and countless other themes. I’m the youngest out of my siblings, and a perk of that was that we always had a big LEGO bin ready for building!
For a few of my teenage years, I went through the classic “dark ages,” but rediscovered my love for LEGO when I was 18 and I randomly picked up 76004 (Spider-Man Spider-Cycle Chase) from the store. I’ve always been a huge Marvel fan, and this set pulled me right back into LEGO. Since then, my collection and especially my passion for designing MOCs has continued to grow.
In 2023, my design was selected as a winner of a LEGO Ideas Test Lab Pick a Brick challenge, where I designed a small Greenhouse display. That was such an awesome accomplishment, and I’m still so proud of the model I created, especially given the constraints of the challenge. In 2024, I was selected as a winner again for another Test Lab challenge when I designed a small modular crosswalk to display minifigures. So now, being at this point where my design is a finalist in the BDP, is just the most surreal next step I could have hoped for!
My daughter and son both love LEGO as well, which is so much fun for me to be able to share my hobby with them. Even my wife has grown into a bit of an AFOL herself in some ways!
I am usually building MOCs or working on designs in BrickLink Studio a few nights a week. Outside of the LEGO world, I’m a drummer and have played in a few local cover bands, and I also do a bit of photography. I love to be creative, and so I’ve always been drawn to hobbies that give me that creative outlet. Even more, though, I love spending time with my wife and kids, going to the zoo, the park, or even just playing in the backyard!
Designing the Antique Shop was such a fun, exciting, and challenging process, and I’m so proud of the final product. I truly hope you enjoy it just as much, and I just want to say thank you again for your support. It really means the world to me!
Happy building!
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How do you find inspiration for your designs? What inspired this BDP set in particular?
The Antique Shop actually started out with me coming up with a goofy idea for a hat museum. I was inspired by unique small-town museums and thought it would be a fun way to display some of your favorite LEGO headgear. So, the first few iterations of my design started out like that, but I started to get a bit of a creative block along the way with the hat museum concept. But I really loved the way my building looked. I’m always a fan of models that can pack a lot of detail into a small space and look very realistic at the same time. I also love going to thrift stores and antique shops and just finding some of the hidden gems there, so it felt like the perfect opportunity to switch gears. It also felt like something that I haven’t seen many MOCs of.
As I progressed with the Antique Shop concept, it really started to take shape while I built up the story of the model. I pictured a small-town shop where the owner lives above it, and a family (inspired by my own family) is coming to visit and find those treasures for themselves.
What was the first set you ever built? Which one is your favorite? What is one set you would love to see being made?
As the youngest of 6, it’s hard to remember which was the first set I built since most of my early building memories were from the big family bin of LEGO bricks. That being said, there are a few early sets that come to mind: 8738 Jayko and 8800 Vladek’s Siege engine. I loved Knight’s Kingdom 2 and will always have a soft spot for those action figures. Also, 8535 Lewa—it was my first Bionicle set and one of my all-time favorites.
For my favorite set, I’m a little indecisive. I’m a huge Marvel fan, and building the modulars, especially the Daily Bugle and Avengers Tower, was just such an awesome experience. Outside of Marvel, I’d have to say 21325 Medieval Blacksmith. It’s such an eye-catching set, with so many fun details in it. That, and being sort of the kicking off point of the modern castle era, it just has a lot going for it.
With all the Nintendo themes in recent years, my hopes for a Metroid set have continued to increase, so fingers crossed we see one in the future!
How would you describe your building style? Do you usually design sets within a certain theme?
When it comes to LEGO sets, I much prefer locations and buildings compared to mech suits, ships, or vehicles. Not that those types of sets don’t have a place in my collection, I’m just drawn to designs that feel like a full environment for a minifigure to interact with. So, most of my MOCs and designs start with that mindset—creating that environment for minifigures.
I’ll still play around with building ships and vehicles here and there, but I definitely have a harder time visualizing them in my head like I can while creating a building or an environment.
How would you describe your role in the LEGO fan community? Have you been to any LEGO community events or conventions? If so, what were they like?
I wouldn’t say that I have a particular role in the community as a whole, but I’ve loved showing off some of my designs over the last couple years and interacting with other designers on social media. Sharing my designs online really started after my two successful designs through LEGO Ideas Test Lab. I love building for Ideas challenges, and of course, the BDP—the prompts and certain restrictions I feel really help push creativity.
As for conventions, I’ve only been to one here in Milwaukee. It was a fun time, but it was definitely lacking in certain aspects. I’m very excited that I’ll be attending Brickworld® Chicago this year, after seeing incredible things about it online over the last few years. If you see me there, I’d love it if you said hi!
What do you think makes a BDP set successful? What advice would you give to the next set of hopefully BDP designers?
It’s been said a few times by others, but design something that really inspires you personally. If it’s something you really enjoy and care about, it’s much easier to show the care and attention that you put into your model. How you present your set really matters as well, in my opinion, make sure your photos are eye-catching and show off your model in a way that sets it apart from other designs.
And lastly, try to build your set with real bricks as you go along. I learned a lot with my first couple revisions, seeing things that didn’t work quite right in a physical model, and it really helps you refine your model as you go.
And lastly, don’t give up and don't be discouraged if your design isn’t selected! Use it as an opportunity to improve it even more, especially if you really believe in your design!
Why not be the first?