The next great Lego idea: A Christmas Story house
By Kelli Comer
No holiday trip to Cleveland is complete without a pit stop at the distinctive yellow house on West 11th Street in Tremont, made famous by the beloved film A Christmas Story.
The house itself, now a wildly popular museum paying homage to the classic holiday movie, is quite a spectacle, drawing visitors from all over the world.
Lego artist Jason Middaugh, with a little inspiration from his wife, Tina, and eight-year-old daughter, Jane, was motivated to create his own version of the famous house with Lego bricks.
“When I was a child, I had always collected Lego sets, and for many years they sat lifeless in boxes fully assembled until Jane became old enough to break them out again,” Jason explains.
“I saw in her that excitement I had as a kid, and, in 2015, I had a great idea for a unique Christmas gift for her.”
Hailing from Syracuse, New York, Jason’s initial vision came to life as a replica of the small cottage his family owns in upstate New York where they spend the warmer months. He created the design of the cottage with Legos, giving Jane the pieces and instructions to build the family’s cottage herself. When the cottage reproduction turned out even better than expected, Tina urged him to submit his idea to Lego.
“I laughed off that idea,” says Jason. “However, it did get me curious as to what would be a good idea to submit to Lego. After a little research, the house from A Christmas Story popped into my head as the perfect set that would appeal to my loved ones and me. It is the one film that defies logic, and somehow gets more popular each year.”
Jason started designing the house with Jane, spending several months collecting just the right pieces and refining the design. Jason watched Jane play with the house and made any changes to it based on her play. After several months, Tina encouraged Jason to submit his completed set to Lego.
A Lego Christmas Story House has nearly 7,000 of the 10,000 votes needed to send the project to Lego review.
“Without a doubt, my favorite part of creating the set has been the process of sharing it,” Jason smiles.
“It seems everywhere we have been, people have been so excited and curious, and it is rare to be able to make something that others enjoy so much.”
To help make Jason’s dream of having his A Lego Christmas Story House turned into a Lego set, visit https://ideas.lego.com/projects/156866, create a LegoID and follow the steps to show your support. Fans are encouraged to spread the word through social media and recruit others to vote for the set. You can reach Jason by sending him a message on the project’s page on Facebook at A Lego Christmas Story House.