LEGO 31139 Cosy House is full of retro references

While the new LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets are certainly forward-thinking, one of them has taken a deep dive into LEGO’s past.

The LEGO Creator 3-in-1 range is one of the more varied, offering a variety of colourful, versatile LEGO sets at different scales. 31139 Cosy House is one of 2023’s more conservative entries, bringing us a new LEGO house in a long line of LEGO houses. That said, it is a particularly attractive example of the concept; the house comes with a striking white and teal colour scheme, plenty of interior space, and fine details such as a wheelie bin and bowls of soup. 

However, older LEGO fans may find the house less intriguing than the toys that the set’s child has to play with. That’s because each of them appears to pay tribute to a LEGO set from years gone by.

First up is the child’s remote-control car; its blue, yellow and grey colour scheme is a clear reference to 4567 Surfer, a very early entry in the LEGO Racers theme. Several sets with this basic design were released in 2001; each one features a car with highly bespoke pieces, an alien creature to drive it, and a plastic carrying case – which can transform into a slammer to propel the car forward. The set’s reappearance as a remote-controlled model may nod to that original functionality.

The next one is a little trickier, but we believe it’s the sea monster from 8061 Gateway of the Squid. This tentacled terror appeared in the Atlantis theme in 2010, where it guards a treasure chest from thieves. The minibuild seems to reference its long appendages, its black, green and red colour scheme and its white beak.

The drill is an easy one; it’s clearly 4940 The Granite Grinder, which appeared in 1999 within the Rock Raiders theme. The minibuild preserves that vehicle’s distinctive shape and colour scheme, which we’ve recreated ourselves in the past.

Finally, we think the fourth model is a reference to 6038 Wolfpack Renegades. This Castle set was released in 1992, with the mini-model seemingly nodding to its four brown cart wheels, blue body, black horse and red harness.

In short, it’s a thoughtful tribute to LEGO’s past – and may make the set a little more appealing to older LEGO fans. So far, the set has only appeared on the American LEGO site; it’s listed at $59.99, and scheduled for release on March 1, 2023. With luck, it’ll be confirmed for release within the UK and Europe in the next couple of months.

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