I’m going to let you all in on a little secret: you don’t have to be a kid to buy and enjoy a LEGO set. You can buy LEGO as an adult.
In fact, I’m going to encourage it and, provided that you want to and are capable of funding such a hobby, I’ll be your hype man.
Actually, there are a lot of LEGO sets now that exist quite well as display items, if you’re looking to improve the look of your living space. It’s not all for kids and it never was. It doesn’t even need to cost you a lot.
Here are some LEGO sets you can buy now to decorate your home as an adult. Am I writing this list based on my own desire to LEGO-ify my home? Absolutely, but let’s get into it.
If you’re after huge LEGO sets that might cost a lot of money, you’ll probably want a different list. I’ve written this with affordability and space in mind.
LEGO for adults: a detailed guide by a LEGO adult
When you’re shopping for LEGO as an adult, you’re likely not buying it as a toy. Instead, you’re probably buying it as a display item, equivalent to statues or plants.
With that in mind, we’ve selected five LEGO collections from modern product lines that’d look good on your nerd shelf or on display in your home. There are absolutely more perfect picks out there (and most LEGO looks nice on display), but here are our highlights.
The LEGO bonsai
The Lego bonsai is probably one of the most basic, but genuinely quite calming LEGO sets out there. It’s a good place to start.
It’s simply a small LEGO bonsai tree, a beautiful tree from Japan, that changes its leaves to a beautiful pink colour in Spring. The set comes with two sets of leaves, green ones and pink ones, that you can switch at will (I’ve got green leaves on mine right now, but I’ll switch to pink in Spring).
As the proud owner of one of these trees, I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s easy to build and it fits into a home remarkably well. Additionally, it’s not the only LEGO flora set: there’s also a bird of paradise, a range of succulents and an orchid available.
- You can buy the LEGO bonsai on Amazon for $95.
The LEGO architecture building kits
If you’re a traveller that loves impressive buildings and having dioramas on display, then the LEGO architecture series might be perfect for you.
Featuring skylines from cities such as Dubai, Tokyo and London, along with models of monuments like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, this series is mostly intended to be decorative, not matching the scale of the LEGO people, but making a great benchtop display piece.
Additionally, the sets aren’t that intricate, so don’t worry about overcomplications when you go to build them (though that’s usually half the joy). They’re intended to be decorations, so this is one of the most adult-oriented LEGO collections out there.
- LEGO Architecture sets range from $59 to $259.
LEGO Star Wars diorama sets (and model ships)
LEGO Star Wars was always my favourite series of LEGO toys growing up, so I’m especially drawn to the new range of sets focused around the TV shows on Disney+.
But what about sets that you can put on display in your home? Well, good news: most Star Wars LEGO sets will look good on a bookshelf or on a cabinet, but we want to plug two types of sets in particular.
Firstly, LEGO has started to do Star Wars “diorama” sets that reference particular bits from the universe, like Luke’s training on Dagobah (Episode V) and the Death Star trench run (Episode IV). I’m a big fan of the stylistic, frozen-moment approach that these sets have.
Next, I’m just going to say it, Star Wars ships rule when they’re made of LEGO. Some of them are ludicrously expensive, such as the “expert” Millennium Falcon ($1,150) or the Imperial Star Destroyer ($1,249), but then there are others that are much cheaper.
For example, the standard model Millennium Falcon is $263, The Razor Crest (The Mandalorian) is $179 and a LEGO X-Wing only costs $82. These are still not super cheap, but much cheaper than the enthusiast LEGO listed earlier.
Reminder: you can just buy LEGO. Nobody will stop you.
- LEGO Star Wars diorama sets start at $79, while ship models tend to start at $95.
The LEGO Ideas collection
The LEGO Ideas collection is probably my favourite. Comprised of sets that are designed by users, the LEGO Ideas collection includes some of the best models, from a beautiful tree house to a replica of the International Space Station (a replica of the office from The Office is also on the way).
These are beautiful sets, perfect for a LEGO adult. I’ll take 10.
- LEGO ideas sets start at $71 and go up to $505.
LEGO Creator multi-sets
The last LEGO on our list is probably the most authentic to the name, purpose-made to be chopped and changed around at will, if you get sick of one model and want to change it to another.
LEGO Creator sets are mostly three sets in one, letting you break apart the pieces and rebuild the sets into one of three models (let nothing stop you from building LEGO the way you want to, but having instructions helps).
The sets in this series look brighter and bolder, more to that classic LEGO aesthetic with strong reds, blues and yellows. If you’re looking to add some colourful fun to your home, these sets could be a good way of doing it.
- LEGO Creator multi-sets start at $10 and go up to $143.
LEGO your heart out, dear reader. Remember that it’s not just for kids: if you see a set that makes you happy, don’t let anything stop you.