Some of the magic of Legos happens when you throw away the instructions and just let your imagination run wild. There was many a Lego house constructed amongst my siblings and me when I was growing up, and more than once I wished I could have a full-sized replica of my intricately planned plastic abode. The dream is now real, thanks to EverBlock.
The modular plastic blocks have been used as the building blocks for walls and structures, but they also work pretty well for Lego-style furniture. Arnon Rosan created the stacking blocks that fit together much as the toy does. Line up the block with the “lugs” of the one below and push down to connect them. It’s best to stagger the blocks instead of stacking them directly on top of one another, and you can reinforce with dowels or support rods.
The polypropylene blocks come in three different sizes and 14 colors, including silver, gold, and translucent. As you can see from EverBlock’s website, they’ve been used to make dining room tables, coffee tables, bookshelves, computer desks, and even couches and chairs (you might want to add some cushions). The blocks also work for walls and partitions, but Rosan envisions them doing a lot more, especially for disaster housing. “You could drop two pallets of these by helicopter and the next thing you know you have a solid, rigid structure,” he tells Wired.
So how much will it cost to build your own? The full block (12 inches by six inches) costs $7.25, the six-inch-by-six-inch half block is $5.25, and the three-inch-by-six-inch quarter block is $4. You can get a combo pack of 26 differently sized blocks for $156. Unfortunately, that’s probably not enough to make this badass bar.
