Review of Funwhole’s Cozy Ski Lodge: A Lego-Compatible Winter Wonderland!

 

Introduction

Hey brick fans!

Winter is right around the corner, and Funwhole’s newest building set, the F9041 Ski Lodge, brings that snowy, festive vibe right to our tabletops. The Ski Lodge is part of the Retro House series, alongside the previous Hunting Cabin, Mountain Cabin, and the Wood Cabin, which I reviewed: https://its-not-lego.blogspot.com/2022/07/funwhole-wood-cabin-building-set-review.html!

Thanks to FunWhole for providing this set for my review!

Known for their lighting-enhanced, intricately designed sets, Funwhole delivers on both realism and coziness with this Lego-compatible creation. Let's review it to see what makes this ski lodge stand out.

UnBoxing the FunWhole Ski Lodge

                              

The Funwhole Ski Lodge comes packaged with organized bags, easy-to-follow instructions, and a set of unique parts. From the minute you open the box, the winter theme is evident. Funwhole doesn’t just add lighting—they thoughtfully integrate it to bring out details like windows glowing warmly in the night and flickering fireplaces and campfire.

I counted a total of 43 bags, with 40 of those bags numbered and allocated to the 12 build sections as documented in the clearly marked instruction manual.

The remainder of the  bags consist of  1 bag of large plates and 2 bags of minifigures.  There are a total of 4 Funwhole style cute minifigures in the Ski Lodge set, which you have to assemble yourself.

Out of the four minifigures, three have reversible faces, one side with googles and the other side without. They also come with some accessories, such as a selfie stick, and shovel to clear the walkway.  

The Lighting Kit

The ski lodge comes with built-in lighting, a Funwhole signature feature. The glow brings the set to life, giving it an inviting, lived-in feel. Imagine the lodge sitting on a shelf, lit up in a dim room—perfect for cozying up during winter.

Each lighting kit is customized to the set.  In this custom kit, there is a battery box (uses 3 AA batteries, not included), a pair of tweezers, a small screwdriver, and 2 pouches of lighting elements.  You will see later how the lighting is thoughtfully incorporated into the build process, it's not just a superfical add-on like other lighting kits.

Build Complexity and Progression

With approximately 2187 pieces, the set is moderate in complexity. Funwhole provides a detailed instruction manual that guides builders through multiple sections, making it accessible even for beginner builders. However, seasoned fans will still enjoy the finer details in its architecture and lighting installation, which feels like a rewarding mini-project.

In terms of build experience, you'll find that Funwhole looks and feels just like Lego bricks.  Fit, finish and clutch are excellent.  This will be evidenced during the build progression for the Ski Lodge.

First we start off building the base and the foundation of the lodge structure.  I've modified the base of my set to use a raised baseplate, but you don't have to do this because the Funwhole base is already very sturdy.  I do the raised baseplates to standardize my modular buildings for all new builds.

Some snowscaping features and floors added in section 2.

Now we start constructing the actual lodge with the inclusion of the front walls and a very realistic looking fireplace.  For section 3, we've also added the lighting infrastructure to support all the lighting effects and that is hidden under the floors.

The main floor of the ski lodge consists of a large living room with sofa, side chair and table. I love that Funwhole doesn't overlook the tiny details in their sets.  Check out all the cool knick-knacks around the fireplace!  There's a jacket hung to dry, a Christmas tree and clock and even christmas stockings on the mantle!  Next to the fireplace, there's some logs and a ski poster with a guitar on the wall.  The first aid kit makes another appearance in this set, as it was first seen in the Travel Trailer set.

For section 5 we continue to furnish the interior and complete the walls, but you'll have to discover all of the little accessories for yourself, there's just too many to list!   But I do want to draw your attention to the opening wall!  This is another cool feature which lets you look inside the Ski Lodge without having to remove the second floor, how neat!

Here we can start adding some more detail to the exterior of the lodge in section 6.  Ski and snowboard equipment is stored in the corner of the lodge with some nice touches such as the helmet and the boots, although I think the boots should have been properyl placed inside the lodge, not outside!  The giant printed billboard says the ski lodge is located in the White Valley. 

The Funwhole Ski Lodge features a second floor loft space with access via the stairway located on the main floor.  Although a bit compact, there's still room for a bunk bed, and a small workstation with computer.  There's even a vent so that the heat from the main floor fireplace can heat up the loft area!

Another cool feature of FunWhole building sets is their use of the wireless pads that allow lighting to work on the upper floor of the building without using wires.  With the placement of the upper loft onto the main building, we can have some accent lighting at the computer and on the balcony.  Section 7 is complete.

In section 8, we added the second storey walls to hold up the roof.

Almost there!  The first of two sets of snow covered roof panels will get attached to the ski lodge.  

Before we cover up the rest of the roof, you'll see that there is a small guest who lives up in the rafters! 

Don't worry that the little squirrel will hungry during the winter, because he's got a secret stash of food hidden in the snowbank below!

Once completed, the  Ski Lodge itself has a charming, alpine-style architecture with realistic elements, including snow covered sloped rooftops, rustic timber cladding, and a cozy interior layout. Other little details are snow-covered trees, wooden benches, and winter terrain.  There's even an adjacent ski hill you can build so that the minifigures can practice their turns on before hitting the big slopes.

Don't try this at home, boys and girls!

Here is my list of Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Beautiful design with lots of wintery details
• Integrated lighting that enhances the overall look
• Solid build quality and compatibility with Lego and other brands
• Printed parts used, not stickers
• Great display piece that would look right at home in a winter village scene.

Cons:

I had one missing piece that was the black ski helmet, it is pictured in the manual but I couldn't find it in my minifigure parts bags.

I do have one little gripe and that's the fact that the FunWhole minifigures, with their rounded bums, aren't able to sit properly on the sofa or chairs.  I find that kind of limiting to the display aspect and playability of the set.   In the above picture, I have delicately posed the minifigures to sit on the tree stumps around the flickering fire, but it took me a few tries to get them balanced just so for the pic.  I don't know if FunWhole will be able to address the rounded bum issue though.

Conclusion

The Funwhole Ski Lodge is a perfect winter display piece, merging the charm of a snowy getaway with detailed building elements. It’s a beautiful, seasonal addition for collectors and Lego enthusiasts looking for a cozy project as the colder months set in. Whether it’s the glow of the lights or the intricate details of the lodge itself, this set definitely lives up to Funwhole’s reputation for unique, atmospheric builds.

How to get our own FunWhole Ski Lodge

Pricing:  $99.99 USD, get 25% off now using promo code SKI25

A). From the FunWhole store

https://www.funwhole.com/products/ski-lodge-2187pcs?ref=tN9EBQmQ

B) From the Funwhole stores on Amazon

Amazon link for the USA: 

https://www.amazon.com/FUNWHOLE-Christmas-Ski-Cabin-Lighting-Building-Bricks-Set/dp/B0DDKCT3QG?maas=maas_adg_002D435F0EB96DE17A507930ACD57906_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas

Amazon link for Canada: 

https://www.amazon.ca/FUNWHOLE-Christmas-Ski-Cabin-Lighting-Building-Bricks-Set/dp/B0DDKCT3QG?maas=maas_adg_5DF1F9771F27FD5EE5B7CC2B3A68AC97_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas

Amazon link for Europe: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0DDKCT3QG

This will make a great Christmas gift for yourself or someone else who loves Lego style sets!  Hope you have enjoyed this review!   Bye for now!

Review of the JMBricklayer 50001 Vintage Model A Deluxe Coupe Building Block Set

 

Hey brick fans!  

I'm here to review the latest exclusive building set from JMBricklayer!  It's an exquisite reproduction of a 1931 Ford Model A and it can be built both as a coupe and as a roadster.   

About the Model A Vintage Car

The Model A was a very popular car that was produced by the Ford Motor company between 1927 and 1931, selling almost 5 million units.  1931 was the final model year before Ford phased out the Model A and subsequently introduced the model B.  For vintage car lovers, you can find more information about the Ford Model A here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Model_A_(1927%E2%80%931931)

This  JMBricklayer Model A is very similar to one found that was featured for sale in the St. Louis Car Museum.  https://www.stlouiscarmuseum.com/vehicles/407/1931-ford-model-a-deluxe-coupe.  JMBricklayer made it even more special in this green and dark green livery.  The light green rims are particularly striking!

About JMBricklayer

Thanks to JMBricklayer for providing the set for today's review!  They are a leading provider of high quality, Lego compatible building block sets where you can choose from a variety of themes such as Vehicles, Ships, Trains, Military, Sci-fi and much more.  

Latest update from JMBricklayer (limited time offer)!

Use the discount codes below for Model A 50001:

① For US customers:

20% off, no limit, valid for 9.20-9.27

MODELA20

Copy the Code to Buy on US Amazon JMBricklayer Amazon store

② For worldwide customers:

15% off, no limit, permanently valid for all non-discounted items: 

JMBVIP15%

Copy Code to Buy on jmbricklayer.com

See other offers below!

About the Set

The set name and number is the Vintage Car Model A Deluxe Coupe 50001 featuring 1297 pieces.  Some of the special features of this model include turnable front wheels, removable roof, opening engine compartment, real rubber tires, and opening doors and rear rumble seat/trunk.  And of course we can't forget about the lighting.  This kit has headlights, sidelights, taillights and even interior lighting that makes it look more amazing.  We will look at these feature sin more detail later in this review.   Ok, can't wait to build and review the Model A!

Unboxing the contents

As with all JMBricklayer building block sets, it comes in a very sturdy box that showcases the model very nicely.

Inside the box, we find the handy instruction manual, two bags containing the special light kit, several parts bags that are numbered 1, 2 and 3.   We will look at the bag contents later.

One of the lighting kit bags contains the battery pack which uses 3 AA batteries, not included.

The other bag contains the lighting components which include a multi-port board, a USB plug, and several led lights with wires attached.

Don't worry, if this is your first time building a set with a lighting kit, because the JMBricklayer manual shows you detailed easy to follow instructions on how to attach all the lighting components and integrate them into the car.

Building the Model A

There are three major steps involved to build the Classic Model A, and you would use the parts bags that are numbered accordingly to build that step.

Step 1

For step 1, we will build the frame and undercarriage for the car.

There are a total of 8 bags of parts used in step 1.  

However, there is a bag that contains all of the wheel assemblies and I think this should be labelled for use in step 3, because it's too early to put the wheels on in step 1.

One of the cool features about the set is the steerable front wheels.  Here you can see the beginnings of the turning mechanism.  There are gears that will be later attached to the steering wheel so that when you turn the steering wheel, the front wheels will also turn in the same direction!

Here's a look at the undercarriage construction.

And here is step 1 completed.   The build quality and clutch for the bricks is excellent.  Now we can move on to the body assembly in step 2.

Step 2

For step 2, we will be assembling the engine compartment, the front grill and headlights, the sidelights, the interior and the trunk!

There are 13 numbered bags for this step.

I think Step 2 will be the most comprehensive section in this build, just by looking at all of the parts.

Now we can use the special lighting kit and put the headlights on the car.  The silver parts used on the grill are shiny but not quite chrome.

It's a good idea to test the components before installing them because you want to make sure all of the lighting components are working properly.   Here you can see that I've attached the headlights to the front grill and then attached the wires to the board.  I've also attached the USB plug to the board and that plugs into the battery box, which is powered by 3 AA batteries which you will need to provide yourself.

The connection board will be installed into the trunk later.

The Model A used a  4 cylinder engine as it's powerplant and that is faithfully reproduced in the set.

We will need to attach the sidelights and before we do, we should test that they work as well.

Ditto for the rear taillights.

Here is the engine housing.

And here we are building the interior of the vehicle.  As you can see from the picture, the headlight and sidelight wires all feed into the interior under the floor and under the seat to the rear of the car.

As mentioned earlier, the lighting board will be hidden inside the trunk behind the seat.  We do another final lighting test before embedding the board.

I love that the doors and the rear trunk/rumble seat can be opened and closed.  

With step 2 completed, we can now move to step 3 to complete the Model A!

Step 3

The final assembly of the Model A will consist of the final touches such as mounting all the wheels, bumpers, front and rear fenders and the roof, which can be removed.

There are 5 bags for step 3 and don't forget that the wheels are from a bag in step 1.

The parts for step 3 include many shiny silver pieces that will be used for the bumpers.  I like that the window glass is thoughtfully packaged separately so as not to be scratched.

Here's a look at the wheel assemblies which we found in the step 1 parts bags.

With all of the final pieces attached, the Vintage Model A looks spectacular!

Here is the back side of the car

Here is the opening hood for the engine, you can open it from either side.

The front wheels can be steered from side to side.

A very beautiful coupe!

But I cannot lie, I much prefer the Model A as a roadster!

Do you prefer the JMBricklayer Vintage car Model A as a coupe or a roadster?   In either case, the car displays beautifully and is a nice collector's item for classic car collectors!   

Where to get the Model A Deluxe Coupe?

It's now available from either the JMBricklayer website:  https://www.jmbricklayer.com/product/model-a-50001/?wpam_id=33.   

Note – Spend $69.99 or more and receive a lovely complimentary gift. Offer available on a first-come, first-served basis while stocks last.

Also available on Amazon: https://amz.run/50001 (15% off code for social media: MODELA15) to get a further discount from the price of $69.94.

For US Amazon, the website link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D7HNG3MB, the coupon code VIPLEGS15 for US Amazon applies only to the non-discounted Model A 50001 and is valid for one month, offering a 15% discount.  

In addition, as for the online store, the website link https://www.jmbricklayer.com/product/model-a-50001/, the coupon code VIPLEGS15 applies to all non-discounted products and offers a 15% discount. The code is valid for one year.

Don't forget to check out my other JMBricklayer set reviews on my other blog:  bricktoyreviews.blogspot.com

Hope you have enjoyed this review!   Bye for now!