The Original LEGO Friends, Stephanie, Olivia, Emma, Mia and Andrea, have all grown up. Thanks to the narrative imperative induced by the Time Skip, they have now achieved a degree of success in their adult lives, while the series now focuses on a new group of friends, including Mia’s daughter, Autumn. Branko has taken a look at the Largest LEGO Friends Set Ever: 42639 Andrea’s Modern Mansion, which has recently reappeared after a few months on Backorder. His story behind the construction might not, technically, be canon, but the information in the episode that brings all the friends back together (Friends the Next Chapter:Series 2 Episode 11 Friends Reunite) doesn’t explicitly say it didn’t happen this way…

This set was sent out by the LEGO Group at the Rambling Brick’s Request. All opinions are our own.

Read on as Branko take a closer look at this Grand Design!

Andrea has done well for herself, as have all five original Friends characters. Andrea is a bit unique in the sense that she has commissioned her friend Emma to build her a mansion to show off her wealth. It is a little unusual to present wealth explicitly in LEGO so to have such a bold statement piece presenting a dream home of a different kind is quite a breakthrough.

Join us as we explore the journey that brought 42639 Andrea’s Modern Mansion (AU$349.99/£169.99/US$199.99/€199.99) together and consider if you too want to experience a lavish, maybe even extravagant, home in your life.

A Grand Design, fit for a star

I think all of the original five Friends have been very successful in their own right but Andrea is the one to have developed the means to live in a proper mansion. I cannot help but feel that Emma must have had something to do with the design of this statement piece; who else would be able to create something so bold for her friend?

Living in her car

While having this home constructed Andrea did not have another place to live so she was living from her car. As you can see, with it being an attractive sports-car this must have been mildly uncomfortable. Judging by her choice in diet, it feels like a few poor choices were made in this period, but hey, a pop-star’s gotta eat.

Construction Materials

Once Andrea had signed off on Emma’s design all the build materials were ordered and architectural drawings finalized. Initial work was also carried out for the internal decorations.

Sleeping in the basement, without a roof

Seeing how Andrea was living in her car, the first part of the house to build was the garage; this provided Andrea with a bit more space and comfort.

But since living in a garage also isn’t all that flash, the next extension included a basement bed. At this stage Andrea was not confined to her car anymore and the luxury of her new home started growing around her. Autumn (Mia’s daughter) had caught wind of the outdoorsy style living that Andrea was experiencing, so she had to go see it for herself; imagining a pitched tent in nature. Imagine her disappointment when finding the construction site.

Bathing in the swimming pool

With some sleeping arrangements in place, it would be nice to get some sanitary facilities. Thinking out of the box, this was indeed delivered in the form of the swimming pool! At least for a while, this would suffice for personal hygiene. Right? RIGHT? Leo dropped by to help out with the house in the hopes there would be a great kitchen, but so far, the focus was more on getting a recording studio in place so Andrea could let her creative juices flow as the house was being finished. This provided a comfortable homely space with some awards, memorabilia, and a roll-out bed.

A roof? Okay then.

In Heartlake the weather always seems pleasant enough that a roof isn’t much of priority, but still, it felt right when the flooring for the next storey provided a roof over Andrea’s head. After all, isn’t that what a house is typically called? A roof over your head? Obviously, it was Olivia’s technical thinking to point this out.

With the bottom of the house providing a livable area, the next floor can focus on entertaining and fun. A hot tub, a large table for drinks and a little kitchenette (sorry Leo, no serious cooking here, just go hang out in the pool).

Family moves in

At this stage it was time to bring the family into the house. First Andrea’s daughter, Imani, got her own bedroom on the 2nd floor, with beautiful colouful louvres in front of her window. It is worth noting that the en-suite with Imani’s room is the only proper bathroom with a toilet in the entire house. It makes you wonder…

and on the same floor a master bedroom for Ji-Won (Imani’s dad) and Andrea; although Andrea would probably be happy to stay downstairs in the foldout bed in the studio.

Oh yeah, that was totally intended. Really!

At this point, as is common in Grand Designs, an issue was found. The louvres outside the main bedroom cause the outside plinth to bend outwards. Since this was not structural Emma convinced Andrea that this was intentional and a ‘quirky’ feature.

Time to entertain the guests!

With the roof added to the house another entire level of entertainment was added; we have karaoke, barbecue, outdoor fireplace, yoga mat and a nice outdoor seating area with a pond.

Stephanie obviously was the first to try out the exercise corner next to the pond, and provided an impressive display of core strength in her planking. Her downward-facing-dog involving a face-plant could probably do some work.

There’s plenty to do in Andrea’s Mansion. We’ve seen Leo enjoy the pool already. Inside there’s a dining room with balcony that connects to a hot tub.

The house has a nice glass elevator (it works!) that allows occupants to travel between the top floors, since there are no stairs beyond the 1st floor.

Ironically, the elevator does not go to the roof where there is plenty of entertainment to be had, so we had to assume there are other ways to get there in the invisible part of the house.

When Andrea doesn’t want to sleep in her basement studio she can lounge in the spacious rotating bed, while being entertained by her bird for singing inspiration. This can be put into action at her baby grand piano in the main entertaining area.

The outdoor pool is a lovely spot to overlook the entry to the house, or have a look at the driveway, keeping on eye on who might be taking the car out for a spin. It’s an unusual spot for a pool, people tend to have them in more private locations, but it’s certainly a statement to have a full glass-walled pool next to the letterbox.

Who’s in?

This home has become a place to be for Andrea and friends. An extended line-up is included and is only the 2nd set including all five of the original Friends.

From left to right Bird, Bunny, Imani, Olivia, Ji-Win, Mia, Andrew, Stephanie, Paisley, Leo, Emma and Autumn. Given that Imani is Andrea’s daughter and Autumn is Mia’s daughter, the only odd one seems to be Leo, who doesn’t have any prior connection to the others. Welcome aboard, Leo!

Do you want to buy a house?

This house is not for the faint of heart. It’s bold, it’s audacious and it’s a delight to behold! I’m sure Andrea and her family will be delighted to live here. I have loved experiencing the journey that brought this house to life and I love seeing its vibrant presence on display. 42639 Andrea’s Modern Mansion (AU$349.99/£169.99/US$199.99/€199.99) is not a cheap set by any measure even for 2275 pieces, and it is rare to find it in stores (it’s a LEGO exclusive). I give this set 4 out of 5 arbitrary praise points; with 1 point deducted for price and availability. I admit that this rarity adds to its exclusive vibe, but it would have been nice to have this fantasy lair available to a wider audience.

What do you think of this dream house? Does it leave you thinking of the halcyon days of Paradisa? Does it fill a gap in your LEGO City, or would you rather buy a new modular? Or will you just hang out here with your friends? Why don’t you leave your comments below.

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Until Next Time,

Play Well!