Let’s take a look at this Gift With Purchase set 40590 Houses of the World II.
Compared to 40583 Houses of the World I (purchase threshold of $250/ €250/ £220/ AUD400), this set is said to carry a relatively lower purchase redemption threshold of $200 / €200 / £180 at LEGO.com, and the promotion will start in April 2023.
Box Experience
As described by the LEGO.com listing, this represents a house in North Africa . The front of the box shows the build in full and the inset shows that each floor is compartmentalised. A small icon on the top right of a present with a bow probably shows us that it is a Gift with Purchase set.
The back of the box gives some shots of the detailed interior of the home.
Unboxing
There are 4 bags in total for this set (2 each of Bags 1 and Bags 2), a small instruction manual and a sticker sheet.
The sticker sheet carries patterns influenced by Northern African design motifs
Build
The build begins with the first floor. A tall palm tree decorates the front area of the house along. A a nicely shaped circular doorway welcomes us into the house via a textured wooden door. A nice archway completes the porch.
The interior shows off a standing piano, a square table and two lavendar coloured seats along with the dark red cupboard.
The second floor is build along with a balcony which is an overhang that connects separately to the archway below. The interior contains a very nice build of a plush double bed, a L-shaped sofa, a plant and a ceiling lamp. There’s also a carpet which is decorated with a sticker.
The roof is build up with low barricades with a row of vegetables and a clothes drying rack. We aren’t too sure what the raised circular tiles and 1×1 square tiles are supposed to represent though.
One side of the house (where the palm tree is), also holds a side door and some vines along with an oil lamp.
Additional Comparisons
We have put it side by side with Houses of the World I and while they are not exactly the same height, they share the same scale and we can display them side by side, front to front. However, the contrasting architecture styles and clashing colours is noticeable and not something one would see everyday.
Also, on the porch, there is a table with a teapot and a glass of what we would assume to be tea. The element for this looks to be dual molded with the liquid sitting pretty in the middle of the transparent cup. This element is pretty new having been introduced in Harry Potter Collectible Minifigures in 2020.
Summary
The second in the series of “Houses of the World” is definitely another charmer owing to the attractive interior and exterior of the build.
The lower than expected threshold for acquisition would be a plus point if true and I guess this will be confirmed in the next couple of days.
For the rest of the series, judging by the first two, we are thinking that the two other houses in the series will probably represent designs from Europe and Asia or even North America.
The set used for the review was sent to us by The LEGO Group for the purpose of an honest review. Provision of sets do not in any way influence or guarantee a positive review.
