Forange FC8504 review: a charming mini house with 730 pieces with pad prints in their Dream Cottage building series.
Following the success of the FC8503 and FC8508, it’s time for the Forange Dream Cottage series set.
Forange FC8504 Review
Like previous Forange sets, my wallet kindly sponsored this one. I bought it online from Amazon.de for 23,99€.
As a reminder, Forange is a sub-brand of the Chinese company Meigaobao and is not only the designer of the set but also the manufacturer of the parts. As usual, delivery was super fast from Amazon Germany.
It came in a welcome cardboard box with a brand roll with prints. I like the box concept because you can open and close it quickly without destroying it.
The box includes plastic bags with bricks, a parts separator, unnecessary LEGO Friends minifigures clones, and small building instructions. The latter is very small and has two building phases.
Yes, the illustrations are small but still good enough to be recognized without problems. The key features of the set are:
| Company/Designer | Forange |
| Bricks | Forange |
| Product name | Modular Building |
| Age | 6+ |
| Set dimensions | 15,5x16,5x20,5 cm |
| Product serial number | FC8504 |
| Pieces | 730 |
Forange FC8504 is one of the most extensive Dream Cottage sets, with 730 pieces divided into two sections. After 2-3 hours of cozy building, the set is ready to be explored.
Construction didn’t cause any problems. It was an easy-going build, with varied steps, including a good range of classic bricks and smaller parts. There were also some tricky things in one or two places, but more later.
The brick and part quality is high. Forange is the brick manufacturer here, so no other brands are used. The quality is not like GoBricks or LEGO, but on a very good level. Clutch power varied from part to part, but no significant problems were noticed.
I left the LEGO Friends minifigure clones in the bag because they are unnecessary.
Mini Modular Building
This set has the banal name Modular Building. To be more precise, it is a mini modular building that consists of two sections.
The ground floor has a small, charming terrace with furniture and flowers. A cat sits next to it. The orange and white awning dominates the set, which gives the whole thing a very colorful touch.
Then, the entrance has tiles, where I have criticism on the set. Unfortunately, they didn’t use a big square plate but several to archive this round design.
Here, part of the entrance area often breaks off because it is only attached to tiles with the weakest clutch power. Add a second layer underneath and it’s definitely more stable.
It is not difficult to see that the entire house is almost made of light brown (medium nougat, I think). A bit light at first, but overall, it fits well. Some green elements are also on the side, like at the front, to make it a bit more lively.
The first floor is also made of the same color (medium nougat). The balcony is decorated in pig pink, and the white windows provide an excellent contrast.
A nice detail, besides other flowers and shrubs, is the air conditioning system which fits well into the Japanese/Asian look of the house.
Dollhouse
No, unfortunately, the house is not closed. It is a tiny dollhouse, meaning the Forange FC8504 can also be used with miniature figures.
On the ground floor, there is a one-man living room with a sofa, a small table, and a floor lamp. Another cat greets us. Two cats in a set, isn’t it a cat set after all? Decorative elements such as the wall clock or the picture with the deer are pad prints. Excellent!
Another highlight of this set is the small battery-operated LED kit—nothing breathtaking but a lovely little detail, especially for a set costing around 25€.
Let’s move to the first floor, where a bed with a floor lamp can be found. Rather unspectacular. I would have liked a bit more attention to detail.
On the other side of the mini modular building, a gaping emptiness welcomes us with lots of brown and a few flowers.
The roof on the set was a bit tricky to build. It is not made of molded parts but of bricks. Some of them do not have the best clutch power, which made attaching them less than ideal. But when it is up, it looks very realistic.
Further, there is a black antenna on the roof.
Forange FC8504 Review Conclusion
I have to repeat myself. Forange has once again archived to design a charming and elegant building with lots of details – an eye-catcher. The positive is that the design is unique and original. So, it isn’t easy to compare it with a set from the Danish manufacturer.
Building was a lot of fun, and the quality could score points. The only weak points are the entrance area and the roof.
For around 25€, you get a lot of brick fun, 730 quality parts, and an original design that fits perfectly in every modern LEGO/alternative brick-built city.
Oh yes, Forange, please remove the LEGO Friends minifigures clones from the set. We don’t need them. The set is also great without them. In summary, it is another no-brainer house set with some minor weaknesses from Forange.
Pro
- original design
- brick/part quality
- box layout
- price
Neutral
- instruction size
Contra
- LEGO Friends clones
- entrance unstable
Review Video (German)
Forange FC8504 is available now for around 27€.
Use the code BRICKANATOMY and benefit from a 4% discount at Yourwoob. With the code BrickAnatomy-Barweer, you can save 13% on Barweer on your order.
More information here: Forange
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