Old Stone Castle Pen Holder (revised)

(This is a revised and more detailed version of my smaller set found here: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/511bfb67-cb96-4154-8fb3-e1c698ea7e6f)

Part of the problem of going to the office - or even working from home - is keeping your mind focused on this world and the job at hand and not on the adventures you could be having the world of LEGO.  Well, now you can do both.  Here is the Old Stone Castle Pen Holder.  It is both an awesome looking castle and a convenient pen holder.

I designed this model because I remembered my enjoyment of the Black Knight series from my childhood.  This small castle is built in homage of those awesome castles and their cool knights.  As one of the most popular LEGO themes, knights and castles continue to appeal to fans today.

Would this make a great LEGO set?  Definitely!  Here's why.

1) Does it have fun building techniques?  Yes.  Check out all of the details on this set.  From the variety of textures on the castle walls to the torches to the stained glass window to the garden behind the wizard to the pen for the dragon, this set has all sorts of fun building techniques packed into a tiny space.  Also, notice how the lines and angles give a prominent shape to the castle - and how the lines draw your attention to the pens that are held inside the castle.

2) Does it look good when displayed?  Yes, of course.  Just look at the pictures.  People coming into your office will say, "Oh cool, where did you get that?"

3) Does it have playability?  Can you do something with it after it's built?  Yes.  Not only does it function as a pen holder for your desk (which is its main job), but it also comes with two minifigures, a horse, and a dragon.  The knight is reminiscent of the Black Knight series, but it is a new figure.  It is exclusive to this set.  There is also a wizard dressed in black who brings to mind the famous wizard in blue named Majisto from the 1990s.  The dragon also recalls the dragons from the Black Knights too.  After you remove your pens, you can also play with the set by having the minifigures go into the castle.  The door actually lowers!  Or you can remove the figures and have them leave the castle and set off on adventures.  The wizard could fly on the dragon while the knight rides his horse.  What kind of quests do you image they will go on together?

4) Does it refer to pop culture or have a sense of nostalgia?  Of course.  It feels very similar to the knight sets from years ago.  How many of us who are now working remember playing with those knights as kids?  (How many of us still play with them today?)

5) How much space does it take up?  The entire model fits on a 8x24 baseplate.  It is 7.8" long, 5" wide, and 6.8" high.  It has 922 pieces.  The height of the pen opening is 4.7" inches from the bottom.  Pens are 5.75" long, so your pens would easily be visible - but they won't be taller than the flags.

This set has fun building techniques + playability + nostalgia + great display piece.  This is a must-have set for any LEGO fan who wants to be both organized and creative at the same time...and who is a hard-working adult, but still likes to feel like a kid.

Vote for this Old Stone Castle Pen Holder and perhaps one day you can have it on your desk for real.  Just make sure you still get your work done too!