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10K CLUB INTERVIEW: Moominhouse by Bonefoot

Congratulations to Bonefoot on their first 10K Club Creation: Moominhouse! This model features the iconic Moominhouse as seen in the 90's Finnish animated series 'The Moomins'. Superfan, Bonefoot, has created an intricately detailed recreation of the house. Each of the floors and roof are removable, offering fully accessible interior to Moominpappa’s office and Moomintroll’s bedroom. Read more about Bonefoot's journey here and leave a comment to show your support!


 

ABOUT YOURSELF

  1. Who are you? 
    Bonefoot.


     
  2. Where are you from?
    Northern Finland.
     
  3. How old are you?
    About 30.
     
    1. What hobbies do you have?
      Playing with my cat Freddy and livestreaming. Sometimes I go outside and film birds.
       
  4. Have you created any LEGO MOCs (my own creations) that you’re particularly proud of? What is it, why are you proud of it and do you have a photo of it?
    This Moominhouse is my first and only MOC and I’m particularly proud of it! I hope to make myself proud with more creations in the future.
     
  5. How and when did your interest in LEGO come about?
    In the mid-1990s when Santa graced me with some LEGO sets! Not a birthday or Christmas went by after that where I didn't ask for more LEGO sets.
     
  6. What is LEGO for you? What does it mean for you? How does it fit in your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games or 'just' watch the cartoons.
    In my childhood, LEGO sets was my favourite toy. I never grew tired of it and it was an important creative outlet. In my adulthood, I've loved playing with LEGO bricks with my nephews and we play the LEGO video games together, as well; LEGO City Undercover is my jam! I also have some gorgeous LEGO sets displayed around my apartment.
     
  7. What is your favourite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
    As a Western film aficionado, the Western theme from the 1990s speaks to me. However, most of my childhood favourite LEGO sets were from the Pirates theme, so nostalgia says I have to pick that as my favourite.
     
  8. What is your favourite official LEGO set? Why?
    My two favourite childhood LEGO sets that immediately come to mind are Crocodile Cage and Volcano Island. The Islander minifigure from Crodocile Cage was always one of my favourites and you can never go wrong with a set that includes a crocodile and a parrot! Volcano Island is beautiful and the moving skull with treasure hidden behind it and the spring-loaded skeleton trap blew my young mind!
     
  9. What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
    Is there a cat element? If there is, that is my favourite!

     

ABOUT YOUR PROJECT

  1. Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
    Moomins have been a part of my life from a very early age. The Moomin cartoon especially is near and dear to me. I’ve always loved the iconic Moominhouse the main characters live in, so it felt like the perfect subject for my first custom LEGO creation. A crossover between the LEGO Group and Moomin would be a dream come true!


     
  2. How long was the process of making the project did, and what did you have to research as well. What kind of prep, research and design phases did you go through to produce your creation?
    The process of making the initial prototype version of the Moominhouse – which I built without any planning beforehand – took almost all of my free time for an entire month. My cat was not pleased. Refining that prototype and making a digital plan for the LEGO Ideas version of the Moominhouse took multiple months of on-and-off work. I did research for the project by skimming through almost all episodes of the Moomin cartoon, taking note of every little detail of the exterior and interior of the Moominhouse. I mapped out the locations of each room, the type of furniture inside them and the overall aesthetic.
     
  3. What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
    There are glaring continuity errors in the cartoon when it comes to the exterior of the Moominhouse. From one shot to another, the number of windows changes. The windows are placed differently and the overall size and shape of the house vary wildly. In the end, I had to go with what looked the most natural to my own eyes as a fan. My goal with the model was to be as accurate to the source material as possible, but my initial prototype version ended up requiring over 5,500 LEGO pieces. It was an enormous challenge scaling everything down to under 3,000 pieces while keeping it detailed enough to satisfy my own standards as a huge Moomin fan. I'm very happy with the end result! I think fans of Moomin will be delighted to see all the memorable aspects of the house included, along with many references to different Moomin characters and storylines.



     
  4. If you could talk to yourself before you started on this project, what would you tell him/her? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
    Always keep enough empty space on the table for a cat! Otherwise, Freddy will jump on the LEGO pieces and make them fly all over the place.
     
  5. How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
    I felt grateful for all the help I had received from my friends, the official Moomin company and excited Moomin fans all around the world in spreading the word about the project. It took one year and two months for the Moominhouse to reach 10,000 supporters.
     
  6. Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
    Just under 3,000.
     
  7. What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
    My favourite part is how you can take the house apart into four modules, so you can access the detailed interior of each floor. Figuring out how to do that was quite challenging as an inexperienced MOC builder.


     
  8. If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
    I built it both digitally and physically. The software I used was Studio 2.0


     

ABOUT LEGO IDEAS

  1. Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
    Having fun is half the battle! Create something you're passionate about and it'll shine through.
     
  2. What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea? 
    I bribed my cute cat to pose in pictures with the Moominhouse and posted those on the internet. It took a lot of chicken treats, but I think this was the winning strategy!


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  3. What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
    I love the Tree House! That gorgeous set got me back into buying LEGO sets for myself as an adult, and eventually led me to getting interested in making my own custom creation. It has a prime display spot in my living room!
  • 10k club
  • 10k club interview
  • moominhouse
  • bonefoot
  • the moomins
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