Fifteen years ago, I built one of the greatest LEGO sets of its generation, the LEGO Star Wars 10188: Death Star, in a two-bedroom apartment in Smithfield, with the low hum of city traffic outside and the quiet glow of December lights inside.
When LEGO announced the reimagining of Jabba’s Sail Barge (Set 75397) in 2025, it felt like a long-overdue return to one of Star Wars’ most iconic scenes. Combining nostalgic appeal with modern design sensibilities, this set quickly became one of the most talked-about releases in the LEGO Star Wars summer wave. Naturally, I had to build it the old-fashioned way, at the kitchen table, with scattered bags, a curious Rose peeking at the minifigs, and Luke asking whether he could stage a Sarlacc Pit battle before I’d even finished the hull.
Some builds are special, not just for their scale or detail, but for the stories that lead up to them. For my son Luke, now freshly 7 years old, the LEGO 76178 Daily Bugle wasn’t just another set. It was his dream build. A towering centerpiece of minifigure mayhem and Marvel storytelling, the Daily Bugle is a set he’s longed for since he was four. And now, with a birthday candle extinguished and LEGO City expanding at Redmond’s Forge, the time was finally right.
There’s something magical about lighthouses. The romance of the sea, the solitude of the tower, and the reliable flash of the beacon guiding sailors home. LEGO’s 21335 Motorized Lighthouse brings all of that to life with stunning accuracy and beautiful design. Released under the LEGO Ideas line, this set is a testament to fan creativity and LEGO engineering, and right now, it’s available at a huge discount for LEGO Insiders: €224.99 instead of the €299.99 RRP.