Review: LEGO Friends 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores

January 10, 2023 | 6

It’s 2023, and amidst the deluge of exciting new sets lies a momentous milestone for LEGO, as it welcomes a whole new generation of LEGO Friends, essentially rebooting and refreshing the 10-year old theme with a new cast of characters, and an all-new look at Heartlake City.

For the next few weeks, I’ll be diving deep into the new LEGO Friends sets, and to kick off my series of reviews, I’ve decided to go with the biggest LEGO Friends set ever, 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores, a super-impressive set that should be on your radar this year.

At 2,010 pieces, and with 9 minidolls (and 2 pets!), this set is an attempt to cater to more advanced builders, and older fans with its 12+ suggested age range, making this set a more compelling and less “kiddie” for adult LEGO fans as well.

41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores makes a really strong statement, and one of the most aesthetically-pleasing LEGO Friends sets yet, so without further ado, let’s jump straight into the review!

Special thanks to the LEGO Group for providing this set for review

41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores Set Details

Name: Downtown Flower and Design Stores
Set Number: 41732
Pieces: 2,010 pieces
Price: US$159.99 / AU$249.99 / £139.99 / €159.99 / CAD$219.99
Exclusive to: N/A
Theme: Friends
LEGO Designer: David Tauzia
Release Date: 1 January 2023

Firstly, let’s take a look at the sticker sheet. Unlike other LEGO themes, I think sticker sheets and Friends sets go well together, as they’ve been part of the theme since Day One, and we tend to get some really fun designs where the graphic designers are really allowed to shine!

41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores Minidolls

A whopping NINE minidolls are included in the set, 7 adults and 2 children (microdolls), which is the most ever included in a set, beating out 41704 Main Street Building by one. There’s also 2 pets included, a cat and a dog.

All the characters are brand new to LEGO Friends, and also feature a wide variety of skin tones, as well as hairstyles!

Two main characters are included in the set, Olly and Liann! Olly is super stylish, and has a keen eye for design, so his inclusion in the set makes sense as browses the retail precinct on Unity Street and checks out the Design Store.

Liann on the other hand is full of energy, enjoys skating and also has an eye for painting and design, with aspirations of being a comic book artist one day.

Olly’s style is on show, with a varsity jacket, with shiny blue sleeves, and cropped trousers and a very tasteful pair of horsebit loafers, whereas Liann has a pink top, and blue jeans on that’s rolled up above her ankles.

Here’s a look at the the printing on their backs.

Here are the 5 other minidolls included. From left to right we have Isabella, Riley, Aida, Adi, and Fiona.

We get some really interesting mix of characters, specifically Isabella who is the first minidoll policewoman (crime does exist in Heartlake City!), as well as Riley who’s a cool saxophonist, Aida, who works at the design store, and Adi, with an Indian-inspired top, and Fiona, the florist who operates the Bloom Flower Store.

I really like the sheer variety of minidolls here, and especially like Isabella with her police uniform (and cool police hat that’s fused with her hair in a bun), as well as Riley’s floral dress.

And last but not least we have the two kids, Peter and Victoria, who I believe are twins as they look alike, and are dressed almost identically in matching lime green jackets!

There’s a fun little mini plotline about the the twins Peter and Victoria going missing, and the policewoman Isabella is trying to help locate them.

That or they’re wanted for criminal activity!

Here’s a closer look at the dog, which I believe is a golden retriever, and cat. One of the new and exciting new innovations in the 2023 LEGO Friends sets are their more expressive faces – the dog has an adorable smile, and the cat is winking mischievously!

The completed build

41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores was a really fun set to build, and really takes the LEGO Friends building to whole new levels. At 2,010 pieces, this is quite an extensive build that’s almost akin to that of a baby modular building.

With this being a 12+ set, there are some really satisfying design and building techniques, particularly the modern angular design of the Design Store, and the very satisfying tiling out the front.

The build consists of two main structures, a double-storey building that houses a florist and apartment, and a triple-storey furniture Design Store, with both building connected via street section dubbed Unity Street.

I like the name and symbolism of it (not to mention the font design), as it attempts to unify the very classic Friends design (Florist) with the contemporary and urban Design Store architectural facade.

Each section can be separated into standalone buildings, allowing you to switch up the configuration and footprint of the set, which is really nice as it adds more customisation into how you display or play with the set.

Here’s a look at the Bloom Flower Store, a double-storey corner building with a bright and vibrant colour scheme. The blend of yellow and green tones is a bit of a change for LEGO Friends, as it forgoes the typical pastel-coloured structure for a colour palette that’s a little bolder and more adventurous.

Here’s another look at the florist from an angle. I really like the use of bright light orange Unikitty tails for the facade, as well as the tiled archway around the entrance, and how the dark blue and white awning contrasts against the bright light orange.

On the upper level, there is a commemorative plaque with the words “established 2012”, which is a nice nod to the year that LEGO Friends was introduced to the world!

In true Friends form, the Bloom Florist also has a large brick-built bouquet perched just above the sign.

On the roof, there’s a table, and plenty of garden boxes, and even a bee hotel/bug hotel! Despite the rapid urbanisation of Heartlake City, this is a nice little pop of greenery that’s a common sight among high rise buildings.

Here’s a look at the interiors of the florist, where we have these small and lovely floral arrangements in vases and pots at the back, and an old school cash register and terrarium on the counter.

I love the use of the relatively new dark green flowers, and just how quaint yet sophisticated the floral arrangements look.

Across the counter is this wall panel with a large sticker on it, with plenty of details like ribbons, a hanging plant and shelves with more plants on them.

On the upper level is an empty room/apartment that actually belongs to Adi, who is moving in. There’s some paint and moving boxes, and the set does depict Olly and LiAnn repainting the room, perhaps it’s their side hustle?

Either way, only one wall is fully painted, suggesting that they still have plenty of work to do.

Another nice nod towards Adi’s cultural roots is a photo of her in front of what looks like the Taj Mahal!

The neat thing about living across a furniture store is that you can easily pop over, pick out a few items and furnish the empty apartment!

Here’s a look at the middle section which “connects” both buildings. It’s more of a bridge than it is an actual pathway between both buildings, but in does serve as an interesting way to connect both structures, and as an additional area for playability. It’s more of a deck that in it is bridge!

Unfortunately, there’s a large Technic beam which looks very out of place against everything else, and is quite distracting. I do wish it was covered up slightly better.

There is this really neat rainbow staircase to access the upper level, where there are some outdoor tables for pizza and drinks. A really big missed opportunity in my opinion was not having some sort of juice bar or even something like an acai bowl stand as there’s no food or drink options in the set – a little odd for a commercial strip!

At the base, there is this awesome brick fountain which makes fantastic use of the Iron Man power blasts to create a dynamic look that’s really ingenious, and I also like the white 2×2 brick with a heart on it.

And further away from there is a small patch of grass with a picnic blanket.

Next, we have the Design Store, a 3-storey furniture store featuring an eclectic mix of modern and contemporary furniture. The sharp, angular design of the structure immediately grabs you because it looks like nothing that LEGO has ever done before.

The facade is just stunning to behold, and I love the bold architecture employed. The sharp angular designs, blended with the typical Heartlake City palette of purple and lavender makes for a fascinating combination.

I love how the bold black lines look like they’re about the pierce the sky. And yes, as it’s Heartlake City, one of the most liveable and progressive places on the planet, of course there are solar panels on the roof.

Adding to the impressive facade and keeping with the angular architecture is this mesmerising section of tiled triangles.

On the side of the building are the large advertising with graphic art of the furniture designs available in-store.

Interestingly, I think this is a rare LEGO Friends building or shop that doesn’t have a brick-built object as a signboard out front.

Here’s a look at the back of the design store, which has 3 floors. Unfortunately, there aren’t any ladders or stairs connecting the floors, so umm, you’ll have to use your imagination on how the minidolls traverse through the store.

The different pieces of furniture are scattered across all 3 floors, and the highest level window display, and you’re more than free to move the items around as you’d like.

Here’s a look at some of the furniture pieces that are available. As you can tell, there are different styles, from colourful pop pieces, to more modern styles that you can use to furnish and decorate the apartment.

Here’s a look at the ground floor, which is mostly space for a furniture showcase and a small counter to order your furniture.

There’s even a new printed phone tile with a contactless payment screen to reflect how we shop and pay for things in today’s age!

And here’s a look at the second level furniture showrooms, which even extend outside.

A really great use of stickers, and one of my favourite things about the decorations are these art prints scattered throughout the Design Store, with one design that’s even a reference to 31207 Floral Art!

41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores vs its contemporaries

With a large and pricey set like 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores, one of the main things that you might want to know is how does it compare against larger sets that are within its price range, and if you’re an existing Friends fan, how does it fit in with other sets.

Here it is next to 41704 Main Street Building which both share the same price.

As you can see, it’s a drastically different offering, with a much heavier emphasis on aesthetics, and more interesting build techniques. Placing them side by side really underscores just how big of a leap 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores is from a design perspective.

What impressed me the most is just how well it stacks up against LEGO’s flagship adult-focused sets, the LEGO Modular Buildings.

Here it is pictured alongside 10278 Police Station, and the 2023 Modular, 10312 Jazz Club. Despite the Police Station being US$40 more expensive, and the Jazz Club US$60 dearer, I think 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores does a remarkable job holding up, and if you’d like, could easily be customisable to fit in your LEGO Modular street.

Of course, it won’t be a direct plug and play, but just judging the set on the facade alone, I think 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores achieves something that I never thought possible from a LEGO Friends set – the ability to hold its own next to a LEGO Modular.

What I liked:

• Remarkable and interesting architecture raises the LEGO Friends bar
• Comes with plenty of minidolls and pets to maximise playability
• Ability to easily alter the shape and configuration of the finished model
• Looks impeccable on display
• Can appeal to adult builders

What I didn’t like: 

• Some amenities like bathrooms, stairs and even food is missing
• Exposed Technic beam detract from the clean aesthetics
• A little on the exoensive side when not on sale

FINAL THOUGHTS:

It’s quite remarkable that even with the big wave of sets launching in January 2023, that a LEGO Friends set is positioned as the second most expensive set (tied with 80045 Monkey King Ultra Mech) in the portfolio.

41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores arrives on the scene, as the flagship set of the 2023 LEGO Friends reboot, and makes an incredibly strong statement that LEGO Friends has grown up slightly, and it now has older builders in their sights, with a lengthy, interesting build, and impeccable aesthetics to win them over.

Despite that, 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores does a lot of things right, and in many ways stays true to the LEGO Friends formula with interesting building choices, and plenty of things for the minidolls included to do.

With the size and overall footprint, it’s still a great kids toy, with plenty of fun ways to customise rooms, and characters to play with, and the space and breathing room for different storylines to unfold, making this an excellent set if you are buying for a LEGO Friends superfan.

But the set excels in its aesthetics, being a really good display model thanks to the bold, never-before-seen architecture of the Design Store, followed by a classic quaint Friends building with the Florist.

There are a few things I’d have liked to see, like bathrooms and toilets, which are usually a fixture in LEGO Friends sets, and more pressingly, because of the commercial nature of the set, some food or drinks options. Even a small stall or stand would go a long way in helping the finished model come across as more complete.

Make no mistake, this is a pricey set, and at full price, it’s not the easiest recommendation to make, unless you have a big GWP threshold that you need to cross. But being a LEGO Friends set, it wouldn’t be too unrealistic to expect discounts at retail stores, so if this set goes on sale, it becomes a much more compelling purchase.

The LEGO Friends team, specifically set designer David Tauzia have done a remarkable job with 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores, raising the proverbial bar when it comes to LEGO Friends design, opening up the theme to new possibilities unlocked by focusing on more advanced builders.

If this is a sign of things to come, with more complex builds and highly detailed and sophisticated facades, I’m thoroughly excited with what else we’re going to see from Heartlake City.

Rating and score: 4/5 ★★★★✰

Build [4] – Perhaps the most fun LEGO Friends set that I’ve built thanks to more advanced building techniques
Real Value [3] – At full price, it feels slightly expensive, but not overpriced.
Innovation [5] – This set goes treads new ground for LEGO Friends
Coolness [4] – Looks stylish, contemporary, and really catches your eye on display
Keepability [4] – Great to display and play with, as an urban centre for other LEGO Friends sets.

Thanks to much for reading my review of 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Store! It’s available in-store and from LEGO.com, along with the rest of the LEGO Friends January 2023 wave.

What do you think of 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Store? Would you like to see more advanced LEGO Friends sets like this?

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Special thanks to the LEGO Group for providing this set for review.