New member alert! In today's 10K Club Interview, we meet Luigi Delcuratolo, a.k.a. DreamnBricks. On his first ever submission, Luigi has become a member of the club! Inspired by a love of 'London' and 'Mystery', find out how Luigi put these ingredients together to give us SHERLOCK HOLMES - 221B BAKER STREET. Show your support for Luigi (and Sherlock) in the comments!
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
Hi, my name is Luigi Delcuratolo, a.k.a. DreamnBricks.
- Where are you from?
I come from Subbiano - a small town between Tuscany's mountain, in Italy.
- How old are you?
I am 31-years-old.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I currently work for the Defense Ministry.
- What hobbies do you have?
My main hobbies are: creating content about the LEGO world, i.e. videos and photos. I love music and playing guitar.
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
Sure
Instagram and facebook.
- 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?
Yes, I made various MOCs, but the ones I'm particularly proud of are FARHAMPTON STATION (from the TV series "How I Met Your Mother") and THE LITTLE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE, being a Christmas lover.
- How and when did your interest in LEGO products come about?
At 29 years when for Christmas, my girlfriend gave me my first LEGO set: The Knight Bus™, from Harry Potter. From the moment I put the first two elements together, the magic began.
- What is the LEGO hobby to you? What does it mean to you? How does it fit in your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games or 'just' watch the cartoons.
Just as two bricks fit together perfectly, I see the LEGO hobby as a way to connect people. It is a healthy and constructive alternative for creating new bonds with people. This is all truly fantastic.
- What is your favourite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
LEGO Ideas is my favorite category. This is because it starts from the ideas of ordinary people, who could also be your neighbour! I really like to see the unknown people's creativity. People who are very talented and who live in the shadows. It is a healthy way to bring people together: adults or children, men or women - all regarded the same. Adwind (a fellow 10K Club member) inspired my creativity a lot with the Home Alone set.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set ever? Why?
Home Alone is the set I've always wanted since I first saw the project on LEGO Ideas. I took the plane to go to the LEGO Store in Rome and buy the set. It was an extraordinary experience, as well as unusual. This set is reminiscent of my childhood and unforgettable moments with my family while watching this movie.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
Brackets are a fundamental element. When you are in crisis, they can solve all problems.
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
Of course - Adwind and Sxavalentine. Two great builders, as well as good friends.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
The brickitmagazine and FemaleBrick Facebook.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I love everything that has the mysterious vibe. Another important thing, is that I love London. I have been there 3 times, and on one occasion I personally visited 221b of Baker Street (currently used as a museum). Finding the right idea to propose wasn't easy for me, especially on the first attempt. The best thing you can do, when wandering in the dark is to ask yourself two questions: what do you like and what do you miss? On the evening of December 2nd 2021 I asked myself these questions and this result came out: London + Mystery = 221b BAKER STREET.
- How long was the process of making the project, 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?
It took me about 7 days to create the digital project. I started by drawing, mentally, the shape of the house, the number of rooms and their location. Then I went in search of some elements that could distinguish the architecture of an English house (for example the shape of the window in the living room). Once the exterior was finished, I moved on to designing the furnishings, including some small Easter eggs - I'm curious to know if you can spot them. After the project, I began to lay out the instructions and lots of renderings (work that continued even during the vote). In total there were about 2 months of work.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
The element that made me waste time was the English carriage. I mainly based it on photographs of carriages of the time (there are several models) and took inspiration from various images. I made an "English Carriage 2.0".
- If you could talk to yourself before you started on this project, what would you tell them? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
I wouldn't say anything, I'm happy about everything that has been done.
- How long did it take to complete the model? Did you finish it fairly quickly, or did it take a long time? And how did the build time compare to the time you spent promoting your Product Idea to reach 10,000 supporters?
I put down the first brick on the evening of December 2nd 2021 (the eve of my birthday). The project was accepted on the morning of December 17th, so about 15 days. Promoting it, in the beginning, was very hard, and I just used the most common social networks. The project has had great success on the many Sherlock Holmes fan pages, but also among various collectors. From that moment a great sharing of the project began, which I never expected.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life, knowing that 10,000 people around the world had seen and supported my work. This experience helped me find some confidence in myself.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
About 2200.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I really like the entire entrance part of the house, the many internal details and the possibility to raise or lower the carriage's roof.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
I use Stud.io 2.0.
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
All stickers were made by my dear friend Luca (he is a designer). I met him on my Instagram page, and he too has a passion for LEGO building. When I finished the project, I realised that a bit of customisation was missing, so I asked him if he would like to have the pleasure of designing the stickers for 221b Baker Street.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
Bring out all the creativity you have inside, but above all, enjoy. In my opinion, a very important thing is to be able to present the project and make it immediately recognisable through a simple image.
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
I used a lot of images of the project, but most of all I followed a lot of advice that people left me in the comments to improve it. I believe that listening to the community's advice is very important if you want to make your project even better.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
I think the Ideas DUCKTALES: THE MONEY BIN project deserves to be seen. I have had the pleasure of seeing the project personally and I can say that it is astounding, but above all, very playable.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
Ideas is a very interesting project, because you can make new friends, improve your building skills, but above all, you have the possibility to make a dream come true. In my opinion, the important thing if you want to upload a project, is to do it while having fun.
- Do you have plans to submit any other Product Ideas in the future? If yes, can you give us a hint of what that might be?
For the moment I have nothing to work on. And when you are not inspired, it is better to wait for her to find you and never the other way!
