MILS plate tutorial for the Lumibricks Barber Shop 19012

The Lumibricks Barber Shop is a three storey modular building.  The building is designed so that a large part of the building structure can be opened up for display.  The front and side of the building are fixed and the rest of the building is attached to hinge bricks to allow the opening to be achieved.

I typically construct all of my modular buildings using MILS baseplates.  It's basically an extra baseplate that is added between the original baseplate and the building structure.  For me it gives the entire building structural rigidity and prevents the baseplate from warping.

Here's a Lego compatible baseplate that I got from Dollar Tree, along with some random 2x2 and 2x4 blocks.

To make a MILS plate for the Lumibricks Barber Shop, we will raise up the fixed portion of the building and sidewalk.  Note the placement of my 2x2 and 2x4 blocks.

I then follow the building instructions to construct the sidewalk and the foundation for the fixed part of the Barber Shop.

For the part of the building that swivels away, I need to provide a smooth surface for it to rest on.  I first arrange one row of plates onto the baseplate as shown above.  Then add another row of plates in the exact same layout.  That's all of the black plates in the picture.

Next I add some smooth tiles, I've used some 6x6 tiles, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Proceed with the Barber Shop instructions to attach the lower hinge bricks and finish constructing the foundation for the swing away part of the structure.

Here is the hinged part fully open.

You've now successfully placed the Lumibricks Barber Shop onto a MILs plate.

Proceed with the construction and enjoy your Lumibricks Barber Shop!

Thanks for looking, bye!

Major modifications to my Lumibricks Gelato Store!

 

Hey brick fans!

I just spent the past few weeks completely revamping the Lumibricks Gelato Store.  

So here's the original Gelato Store, before my mods.  You can find my entire review of it here: https://its-not-lego.blogspot.com/2026/01/best-lumibricks-gift-sets-under-150.html

Moving the Gelato store to an expanded 32x32 baseplate means I have to strip away the interior furnishings.   Let's see how it looks now!

Where the original staircase used to be is a walkthru to the back of the store.  Above it is a new patio.  Much of the original lighting has been retained, where possible.

Here's the new location of the staircase.  A new door was added at the top of the stairs.

Some side views.

Here you can see that the staircase keeps going around to the rear of the gelato store.

The stairs lead to the new rooftop observation deck (which used to be a garden and art space).

There is a new bus stop and bench in place of what was a small eating area.

A sliding glass partition has been added to the front of the shop.  Some of the outside fixtures have been relocated from their original locations.

The panel can be displayed in open or closed positions.

I've designed the back panels to swing away for interior reveal.

Here's my new interior layout of the Gelato store.  I managed to preserve about 80-90% of the original interior fixtures. There is a new cold room/freezer that is located under the stairwell.

The second floor has partitioned seating for up to eight minifigures.  It still needs tiling on the floor.  

The rooftop deck has two benches and wall to wall windows for viewing.

I've added a clock as a decorative feature of the rooftop.

Adding the updated Gelato store to my city!

Anyways, thats all the pics of my Gelato store modifications!   Thanks for looking!

#lumibricks #lumibricksgelatostore

Sidewalk modification tutorial for the Lumibricks/FunWhole Gelato Store F9078

 

Hey brick fans!

I just recently built and reviewed the Lumibricks/FunWhole Gelato Store set and it was definitely unique and interesting in it's construction.  It has all the similarities of a traditional modular building but it can also be unfolded so that the entire exterior and interior can be displayed dollhouse fashion.

As you can see from the above picture, the Gelato store is comprised of three different levels, all of which can be separated.  The ground floor is the gelato store, the second floor provides seating for the patrons and the rooftop is a garden/artist retreat.   The sidewalk is an extra piece that clips into the building while it's in it's modular form.

Alternatively, the gelato store is hinged such that it can be opened to maximize the visibility of it's exterior and interior spaces.  This method allows easier access to the rich interior details and facilitates play.

There is one drawback though.  When it's time to open up the Gelato store for interior access, sidewalk removal is not so straightforward.  In fact, it's a bit of a struggle to switch between modular building mode and dollhouse mode because of said sidewalk piece.

The Issue

Herein lies the problem.  Above I've taken some screenshots of the instruction manual that shows you the sidewalk attachment process.  From the first picture (ie pg 202), there are a total of four connection points  as depicted by the dark gray studs at the front of the building.  The sidewalk is then slid into place and tiles are then placed on top of those connection points to secure it as shown in the bottom pic (ie pg 204).

To switch to dollhouse mode, you have to remove four or more tiles to disengage the sidewalk piece, so that the building can be unhinged.  A further complication is that the leftmost connecting tile is placed immediately under the doorstep, meaning that piece has to be removed as well.  All of this limits the immediacy and excitement of play.

The Fix

I wanted to retain the ability of sidewalk attachment but make it quicker and easier to remove it or add it back.   I decided that the four connection points was excessive and the same thing could be accomplished using only two connection points.  Also I didn't want to remove the doorstep each time.

My solution involves reworking some of the tile placement on the sidewalk and at the front of the building.  Specifically, I wanted to eliminate the connection points at the far right and far left of the sidewalk, ie the 2x3 tiles near the front door and the nearest the bench.

While I was figuring out how to arrange the sidewalk tiles, I realized I should also place some studs to allow the set's four minifigures to be displayed as well.

To make the fixes, I used a handful of extra spare tiles consisting of some:

1x1 tiles, 1x2 tiles, 1x3 tiles, 1x4 tiles, 2x2 tiles and some studded plates including a modified 4x4 plate.

I recognize that not everyone will have the exact tiles I have so hopefully you can use whatever you have on hand to redo the sidewalk.  The objective is to keep as much of the original sidewalk design intact but just alter it enough to provide the two connection points and the mounting studs for the display of the minifigures.

Step One

The first objective is to eliminate the two connection points previously occupied by the 2x3 tiles on both sides of the building  by two 1x3 pieces.

Here's the door side.  Notice the grill piece under the black column details.  I've repositioned it from it's original location.  The two studs below it will be one of the new connection points.

Similarly, we have replaced the 2x3 tile with a 1x3 tile at the edge of the baseplate.  And the grill piece moved under the black column defining the other connection point below it.

After a bit of tile rearrangement, here is the look of my modified sidewalk.  As you can see from the picture above, the mount points for the railing, table and two chairs, as well as the balcony theatre signpost have been retained.  The mount point for the ice cream structure has been shifted a bit.   Additionally I have relocated and added some studded plates for minifigure display.  Of course, you can adjust the stud placement to your own liking.   The most important detail to note is the two gray studded connection points that will line up between the sidewalk and the building.  

After you are happy with the tile arrangement of your sidewalk, slide it back towards the gelato store.

Place two 2x2 tiles on top of the connection points (located next to the grill pieces).

Return the accessory pieces back to the sidewalk, ie. the doorstep, railing, table and chairs.

And the ice cream fixture and sign post.

Attach the minifigures as desired!

Now to switch into dollhouse mode, simply lift up on the sidewalk and it should come right off.  To return to modular building mode, again just slide the sidewalk up against the building and snap the two 2x2 tiles back into place.

Hopefully this fix to the sidewalk makes it more convenient and enjoyable to play with and display the Lumibricks/FunWhole Gelato store!

Thanks for looking, bye!

#lumibricks #gelatostore #lumibricksmoc