Review: 40531 Lars Family Homestead Kitchen
Posted by CapnRex101,
May the Fourth promotional items have proven divisive, with some favouring minifigures, while others prefer the microscale models introduced recently. 40531 Lars Family Homestead Kitchen combines those qualities, potentially appealing to a broad audience.
The exclusive Beru Lars minifigure seems quite interesting, while the surrounding environment features surprising detail. Furthermore, the thematic connection between this model and 75341 Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder is clever.
Summary
40531 Lars Family Homestead Kitchen, 195 pieces.
Buy at LEGO.com »
An excellent minifigure and vignette combine to form the best May the Fourth promotion for several years.
- Exclusive Aunt Beru minifigure
- Clever construction
- Impressive detail
- High qualifying purchase threshold
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigure
LEGO Star Wars' character coverage has proven quite comprehensive, particularly across the Original Trilogy. Beru Lars was arguably the most prominent such character without minifigure representation, until now! This minifigure includes a unique torso which reflects her simple garb from A New Hope, featuring accurate details around her collar.
The undecorated skirt is perhaps disappointing, although Beru's dress appears similarly plain onscreen. The double-sided head also looks reasonable, despite returning from several Harry Potter sets, while the textured hair component works nicely too. Of course, a unique part could have achieved absolute accuracy, but I am satisfied with this minifigure.
The Completed Model
LEGO has rarely explored the Lars' homestead because its most famous interior locations are underground. These include the kitchen, which looks splendid. The distinctive white colour and curved worktop edge are instantly recognisable and the designer has included various colourful accessories, breaking up the monochromatic surfaces.
Despite its modest size, the kitchen includes some unusual construction methods. The whole rear wall is assembled sideways, attached to the neighbouring wall using bricks with studs on the side and secured to the floor with bracket elements. The structure feels remarkably strong and even includes several shelves that are connected sideways, presenting anti-studs on the reverse.
The walls and worktop are therefore almost completely smooth, contrasting with the studded floor. This stark difference is effective and I like the plant beside the entrance, although this is placed on the opposite side during the film. The decorated consoles above the worktop match the source material too, alongside recessed shelves.
Trans-light blue cupboards are mounted along the wall, containing various accessories. Some extra items are also scattered across the worktop, notably including a small rendition of Luke's Landspeeder! That simple connection with 75341 Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder seems fitting, especially because we know Luke owns a model of his T-16 Skyhopper.
Food storage domes are sunken into the worktop, resting on plinths underneath. Ideally, they would have attached to the supports, but their current design allows easy removal. The larger dome houses a bright green mop head, returning from 80106 Story of Nian. Unfortunately, the printed blue milk carton remains exclusive to 30625 Luke Skywalker with Blue Milk and we do see a dedicated blue milk dispenser during a deleted scene, but this reference is fun.
Overall
40531 Lars Family Homestead Kitchen represents the perfect LEGO Star Wars promotion, in most respects. The exclusive minifigure is superb, the vignette features remarkable detail and both are thematically linked with 75341 Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder. Moreover, the building techniques are surprisingly elaborate, surpassing other sets of equivalent size.
The qualifying purchase threshold of £160, $160 or €160 is high and easier access would be ideal, naturally. However, I am pleased with this promotional set and would appreciate similar minifigure-scale vignettes in future, accompanied by minifigures that seem unlikely to appear in standard Star Wars sets.
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50 comments on this article
Cute little vignette but not enticing me to spend on May 4th. Seems somewhat incomplete given the trend of black base builds with a printed tile plaque. I continue to like the vignette style of set so I'm glad to see this continue. More please.
Now I only need to decide which set to buy..
Shame I’ll never be able to get this
@CDM said:
"Cute little vignette but not enticing me to spend on May 4th. Seems somewhat incomplete given the trend of black base builds with a printed tile plaque. I continue to like the vignette style of set so I'm glad to see this continue. More please."
What would the quote be? "LUUUUKE? LUUUUKE!"
Luckily all the Star Wars sets are still expensive enough that I can get this prize for nearly any purchase I make, unless I come to my senses... which is unlikely.
@MisterBrickster said:
"What would the quote be? "LUUUUKE? LUUUUKE!""
LOL I wasn't thinking a quote specifically but I suppose "Luke's just not a farmer, Owen. He has too much of his father in him." would work.
From all the Star Wars scenes and locations they could have selected from - they selected a boring kitchen. I have no interest in getting it.
I think this set is really cute. It's rare for the Star Wars theme to offer cozy domestic scenes in sets, and this one uses some really clever techniques to make it look just right.
Should've only cost $1, have 7 figures added, and it really needs P2 Cody. Stupid LEGO!1!11!!!!!!1111!
I see blue milk with the bone blue milk print haha
All in all, this can form part of a great larger set, I hope LEGO incorporates similar kitchens on more sets.
I love it.
Considering the price threshold, I do not think it would have been unreasonable for lego to have included Owen as well or maybe farmboy Luke, but as it is if there was to be only one, Beru was the right choice. Beru might have to single though cause most won't have Owen, though maybe Owen will be in Kenobi sets (He was in the trailer after all).
everything about this set is incredibly dull.
Ridiculous, both in terms of content and pricing. Hard pass.
The set looks cute. It's a nice change compared to gray spaceships.
I don't love the qualifying threshold, but I guess that may make it last a bit longer. Plus with so many claiming they don't want it means it will last longer yet.
I have yet to buy any Star Wars sets this year, so hopefully a few will be available when I actually try to make the order.
They knew what they were doing, chucking in Beru while putting the threshold as high as it is. Bit disappointing but LEGO is well within its rights to dictate matters like this.
EDIT; while this set does lack obvious connection points, with its general shape, I do wonder whether we may see additions/expansions in the future. There's plenty more to the Homestead after all.
A friend did this... the remains
https://www.htxt.co.za/2022/04/lego-made-a-lars-homestead-so-we-had-to-burn-it-down/
This really is a fantastic set and I’m thrilled that it is a build with a minifigure. Lego is a toy first and foremost, and I think it is very important that you always have something you are building and then a person to play with inside of that build. There are a few sets without minifigures that I really like (NES and the larger NASA sets), but I very infrequently purchase sets that aren’t minifigure scale. As for just getting a minifigure, I will purchase loose minifigures, but only because I want them to go with a set I have.
What I don’t like about this is the price threshold. @CapnRex101 mentioned it being high, but he failed to mention that is one penny more than all of the most expensive non-UCS sets. I had been waiting to purchase Moff Gideon’s Lightcruiser for this promotion, and now I’ll have to buy one more set as well. The same is true if you planned to purchase the Millennium Falcon or AT-AT. I feel like this is sort of a scumbag move by Lego.
$160 is nuts. At that price threshold they might as well have just packaged this with the landspeeder.
It is good to finally get Beru. Wild that one of the... what, three-to-five women with a speaking role in the original trilogy took 23 years to finally get a fig made of her.
A set with only one 1 exclusive minifig. Lego is saying. We'll give them what they want, and we'll show them what weeee want. Lego = $$$.
As many have pointed out, this year's MTF celebration seems to be pointedly the Year of the Sith. Way to go Lego. Only you could simultaneously make people so excited and angry.
I never expected Star Wars fans to be exited about a kitchen, haha
If the threshold would be 55 Euro or a bit more like in the good old times, I would definitely buy something starwarsy I do not need just to get this. But not for 160 Euros. Haha. No way Lego.
@alfred_the_buttler said:
"This really is a fantastic set and I’m thrilled that it is a build with a minifigure. Lego is a toy first and foremost, and I think it is very important that you always have something you are building and then a person to play with inside of that build. There are a few sets without minifigures that I really like (NES and the larger NASA sets), but I very infrequently purchase sets that aren’t minifigure scale. As for just getting a minifigure, I will purchase loose minifigures, but only because I want them to go with a set I have.
What I don’t like about this is the price threshold. @CapnRex101 mentioned it being high, but he failed to mention that is one penny more than all of the most expensive non-UCS sets. I had been waiting to purchase Moff Gideon’s Lightcruiser for this promotion, and now I’ll have to buy one more set as well. The same is true if you planned to purchase the Millennium Falcon or AT-AT. I feel like this is sort of a scumbag move by Lego. "
Many times you can still get the GWP for a penny less than advertised, so $159.99 may still qualify.
What this needs is hundreds of pieces wasted on a raised base and a black box so it could be sold for $50 retail. /s
@alfred_the_buttler said:
"that is one penny more than all of the most expensive non-UCS sets. I had been waiting to purchase Moff Gideon’s Lightcruiser for this promotion, and now I’ll have to buy one more set as well. The same is true if you planned to purchase the Millennium Falcon or AT-AT. I feel like this is sort of a scumbag move by Lego. "
$199.99 always counts as $200. $99.99 always counts as $100.
For the Jane Goodall, $119.99 counted but $119.98 did not, so my purchase of a $99.99 and a $19.99 set required the addition of a 3-cent piece -- it was right before the change to the new minimum spend for Bricks & Pieces/Pick-a-Brick.
$159.99 will count as $160. You'll get it with your 75315 Imperial Light Cruiser.
Should be able to add a keychain to get over the threshold if needed. This has always worked in the past ( though there aren’t that many Star Wars keychains at the moment to choose from )
@rraider said:
" @alfred_the_buttler said:
"This really is a fantastic set and I’m thrilled that it is a build with a minifigure. Lego is a toy first and foremost, and I think it is very important that you always have something you are building and then a person to play with inside of that build. There are a few sets without minifigures that I really like (NES and the larger NASA sets), but I very infrequently purchase sets that aren’t minifigure scale. As for just getting a minifigure, I will purchase loose minifigures, but only because I want them to go with a set I have.
What I don’t like about this is the price threshold. @CapnRex101 mentioned it being high, but he failed to mention that is one penny more than all of the most expensive non-UCS sets. I had been waiting to purchase Moff Gideon’s Lightcruiser for this promotion, and now I’ll have to buy one more set as well. The same is true if you planned to purchase the Millennium Falcon or AT-AT. I feel like this is sort of a scumbag move by Lego. "
Many times you can still get the GWP for a penny less than advertised, so $159.99 may still qualify. "
Nope, in 2013 I had to add a whole other set because I was one cent short.
Although, this practice seems to have been updated reading the other comments. Still sucked back then though, but the enormous threshold for this promotion is worse.
@CDM:
If Beru wasn’t the only minifig, I’d want, “But I wanted to go into Toschi Station and pick up some power converters!”
@SAAFOL:
1. Both Owen and Beru were outside when they were killed, as you can see two skeletons.
2. I ended up with a second copy of last year’s microscale Lars Family Homestead, and was just thinking at work today that I should make a Lars Family Cookout model out of it.
@alfred_the_buttler:
Some GPWs require you to hit the dollar right on the mark. Some let you slide on the last penny. Some even let you do it on the entire last dollar. A “$100” GWP could trigger at any of $99.00, $99.99, or $100.00, and the only way to know for sure is test it.
@WemWem:
Lessee…Leia, Mon Monthma, Beru…. Boussh doesn’t count, but Oola does. Can’t speak her language, but she does have lines. Um, does singing count? If so, Sy Snootles is in. If SE characters are allowed, there are her backup singers, too (three, I believe?). Their scene got cut, but one of Luke’s friends in Anchorhead (Camie?) was a female (Biggs is the only one who made it into the final cut, the lucky dude…). Do Ewoks count? I think you’d have to do some research to see if any females of their species utters any identifiable lines.
PT gets a lot harder to do off the top of my head (there are a lot more locales, a lot of female Jedi, and a lot more bit parts). ST gets a lot easier (because I just don’t care).
@shirhac:
Did you ever qualify for an exclusive polybag minifig for that low a spend? I’m remembering $75 as being pretty standard.
@FuddRuckus:
No, it depends on the promo. I got this straight from one of the employees at the local LEGO Store. She says they have no idea what the actual spend is until they see what amount lets them add a GWP, but the forgiven penny is something they often see when a GWP should obviously pair with a new release, like the Holiday sets should with Winter Village sets.
@legospaceslug:
Keychains count, and it doesn’t matter if they’re full price or clearance. If they don’t, a quick call to customer service should sort things out.
There's no reason for this set to exist, other than allowing the TLG board to have fun watching the aftermarket prices for this figure. It's like their version of the squid games.
@Squicman said:
"I never expected Star Wars fans to be exited about a kitchen, haha"
Speaking for myself, it’s quite simply a breath of fresh air to get something creative that’s never been represented in Lego form before, rather than yet another remade vehicle.
@Raeth said:
" Ridiculous, both in terms of content and pricing. Hard pass. "
The pricing of a free set is ridiculous, huh? Wow. There’s really no pleasing some people.
(Yes, I know full well you’re talking about the price threshold required to qualify. I also know every such purchase that qualifies for this will qualify for two other GWPs as well, in addition to getting whatever you’re actually buying.)
As unlikely as it is that I will be spending so much for the promotion (not because I think it's not worth it, but because I simply don't have too much to spare), I am very happy with what LEGO chose to do. It might not be a priority for me, but I think LEGO absolutely outdid themselves here with this small set and I hope they continue to do minifigures with scenery.
Hoping for an AotC Dex's Diner sometime in the future...
@Torrent_Studios:
I’d be real curious to see how they handle the waitress droid’s unicycle leg.
@Torrent_Studios said:
"As unlikely as it is that I will be spending so much for the promotion (not because I think it's not worth it, but because I simply don't have too much to spare), I am very happy with what LEGO chose to do. It might not be a priority for me, but I think LEGO absolutely outdid themselves here with this small set and I hope they continue to do minifigures with scenery.
Hoping for an AotC Dex's Diner sometime in the future..."
That's maybe the second time in my 7 years of visiting this awesome site that someone has mentioned Dex's Diner. I couldn't agree more!
Lego gave us the evil Besalisk Jedi Pong Krell in 75004. Surely they can do it again with Dex (maybe combined with some graphic design akin to Bro Thor 76200).
Still amazed they didn't utilize the diner in Cone Wars- especially after Ahsoka decended to the lower levels of Coruscant after leaving the Order. I would love a FLO minifig. That's another kitchen to get AFOLs excited.
@StyleCounselor said:
"That's maybe the second time in my 7 years of visiting this awesome site that someone has mentioned Dex's Diner. I couldn't agree more!
Lego gave us the evil Besalisk Jedi Pong Krell in 75004. Surely they can do it again with Dex (maybe combined with some graphic design akin to Bro Thor 76200).
Still amazed they didn't utilize the diner in Cone Wars- especially after Ahsoka decended to the lower levels of Coruscant after leaving the Order. I would love a FLO minifig. That's another kitchen to get AFOLs excited."
LEGO Star Wars: The Kitchen Series lol
Dexter is one of the most underrated characters from the prequels, he's probably got a ton more useful information (convenient for plots sometimes) and using it in The Clone wars would really tie the series to the prequel trilogy in another way.
I think a ton of people were disappointed that LEGO never reused Pong Krell's sandwich board piece ever again, especially knowing LEGO's tendency to try to get their money's worth out of new molds.
The ideal Dex minifigure for me would be a normal torso and legs, the arm pieces from Rio Durant, then a sandwich board head.
@PurpleDave said:
" @Torrent_Studios:
I’d be real curious to see how they handle the waitress droid’s unicycle leg."
I can sort of see them making a new mold, but chances are they'd make something work with piece 6227897
@Torrent_Studios said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"That's maybe the second time in my 7 years of visiting this awesome site that someone has mentioned Dex's Diner. I couldn't agree more!
Lego gave us the evil Besalisk Jedi Pong Krell in 75004. Surely they can do it again with Dex (maybe combined with some graphic design akin to Bro Thor 76200).
Still amazed they didn't utilize the diner in Cone Wars- especially after Ahsoka decended to the lower levels of Coruscant after leaving the Order. I would love a FLO minifig. That's another kitchen to get AFOLs excited."
LEGO Star Wars: The Kitchen Series lol
Dexter is one of the most underrated characters from the prequels, he's probably got a ton more useful information (convenient for plots sometimes) and using it in The Clone wars would really tie the series to the prequel trilogy in another way.
I think a ton of people were disappointed that LEGO never reused Pong Krell's sandwich board piece ever again, especially knowing LEGO's tendency to try to get their money's worth out of new molds.
The ideal Dex minifigure for me would be a normal torso and legs, the arm pieces from Rio Durant, then a sandwich board head."
Ha, ha! Yes! The Rio piece would be perfect to excentuate Dex's pot belly.
@PurpleDave said:
" @CDM:
If Beru wasn’t the only minifig, I’d want, “But I wanted to go into Toschi Station and pick up some power converters!”
@SAAFOL:
1. Both Owen and Beru were outside when they were killed, as you can see two skeletons.
2. I ended up with a second copy of last year’s microscale Lars Family Homestead, and was just thinking at work today that I should make a Lars Family Cookout model out of it.
@alfred_the_buttler:
Some GPWs require you to hit the dollar right on the mark. Some let you slide on the last penny. Some even let you do it on the entire last dollar. A “$100” GWP could trigger at any of $99.00, $99.99, or $100.00, and the only way to know for sure is test it.
@WemWem:
Lessee…Leia, Mon Monthma, Beru…. Boussh doesn’t count, but Oola does. Can’t speak her language, but she does have lines. Um, does singing count? If so, Sy Snootles is in. If SE characters are allowed, there are her backup singers, too (three, I believe?). Their scene got cut, but one of Luke’s friends in Anchorhead (Camie?) was a female (Biggs is the only one who made it into the final cut, the lucky dude…). Do Ewoks count? I think you’d have to do some research to see if any females of their species utters any identifiable lines.
PT gets a lot harder to do off the top of my head (there are a lot more locales, a lot of female Jedi, and a lot more bit parts). ST gets a lot easier (because I just don’t care).
@shirhac:
Did you ever qualify for an exclusive polybag minifig for that low a spend? I’m remembering $75 as being pretty standard.
@FuddRuckus:
No, it depends on the promo. I got this straight from one of the employees at the local LEGO Store. She says they have no idea what the actual spend is until they see what amount lets them add a GWP, but the forgiven penny is something they often see when a GWP should obviously pair with a new release, like the Holiday sets should with Winter Village sets.
@legospaceslug:
Keychains count, and it doesn’t matter if they’re full price or clearance. If they don’t, a quick call to customer service should sort things out."
In 2014 I got the Darth Revan poly bag for free, spending 55 Euro or more at Legos online shop. And several SW sets were discounted for 15 %. And they gave away a free poster.
@Torrent_Studios:
I was thinking more along the lines of the old Dementor pogo leg, since that would actually attach to a studded surface, but you’d have to handwave away the lack of a wheel. The part you suggested would need a clear headlight brick or she’d always need HOG support to keep from falling over. I’m not sure I can picture them doing that. A third option would be a new element, and it is Star Wars, so…
@shirhac:
All I could remember was $75 spends (for Jor-El, Martian Manhunter, Flashback Shredder, and at least the last few SW minifig polybags before they moved on to different promos), and that USD and EUR spends are usually the same number. Having had more time to think about it, I think Chrome Vader and White Boba Fett were significantly lower, but between May 4th and Star Wars Days, there have been so many SW minifig polybag GWPs that it’s hard to keep track of all of them, much less what it took to qualify for each one. Except the fact that you had to actually check a box during checkout to confirm that yes, you really did want them to send a Shadow ARF Trooper with your online purchase (I noticed, and bagged three of them as usual, while someone else from my LUG had already failed to notice and didn’t get one with his purchase, though I think he eventually got one as I remember tipping him off once or twice when the polybags were up for grabs again).
Do i have to buy a star wars set, or could i buy a modular building to qualify?
@roz1281 said:
"Do i have to buy a star wars set, or could i buy a modular building to qualify?"
Just Star Wars
@alfred_the_buttler:
As I said before, the $159.99 Light Cruiser counts toward the offer.
@NatureBricks said:
" @FuddRuckus said:
" $199.99 always counts as $200. $99.99 always counts as $100."
No. Not always. I wanted a polybag that was a GWP for $40 back in January. I went to buy the $39.99 crane. It did not count.
"
I didn't say anything about $39.99 and $40.
@PurpleDave
What I said was accurate.
@FuddRuckus:
No, what you said was accurate for a few specific promos. Visit your local LEGO Store. Make friends with the employees. Learn the truth.
@Slobrojoe said:
"Shame I’ll never be able to get this"
Get it on Ebay...much cheaper than getting it through Lego.
@PurpleDave said:
" @FuddRuckus :
No, what you said was accurate for a few specific promos. Visit your local LEGO Store. Make friends with the employees. Learn the truth."
The local LEGO Store employees know me and my wife by name.
What I said is accurate to the website as well.
@FuddRuckus:
I believe that’s called being an ordinary regular customer. I’ve been recognized by checkout clerks at grocery stores. The owner of the place where I buy my socks and work boots knows me by name, sock size, and boot size, and I generally only shop there once a year.
How well do _you_ know _them_? Do you know which ones buy sets to build at home, or which ones create MOCs? Do you talk to them about non-LEGO subjects, like movies and TV shows? Do they tell you when they’re getting married? If one of them ends up standing in line behind you for Black Friday in the middle of a pandemic when everyone is still wearing masks, is she going to strike up a conversation with you about the vagaries of GWP thresholds?
That’s how I found out how crazy they can get. We don’t really notice the exact target because we usually overshoot out of habit. The store employees ring up a lot of orders during GWP promos, and this was one of their veteran employees. If she says a $100 threshold could trigger at $100.00, $99.99, or $99.00, depending on the promo, I’m inclined to believe her.
With the qualifying price point in mind, it would have been nice if Owen Lars had been included as well. I wasn't in the position financially to buy the UCS Sandcrawler, and was still in my dark ages when the previous one was released.
I'm assuming this is already sold out? I only get the offer of the keychain
Oh, cool. Next set will be the UCS version of Cantina toilets.