Built & reviewed by Martin Seidler Build #50
Review Summary
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Design | 8/10 |
| Build Experience | 7/10 |
| Instructions | 3.5/5 |
| Final Result | 8.5/10 |
| Overall | 8/10 |
Difficulty: Intermediate
Recommended for: Builders who enjoy urban scenes, literary themes, libraries, and classic interiors.
Introduction
Build number 40 is always a small milestone, and I am glad that this anniversary build turned out to be something very special.
MiniCity’s Hemingway House is inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s famous residence in Key West, Florida. While it is a beautiful Book Nook in its own right, for me it also unexpectedly became a nostalgic journey back to one of the most memorable trips of my life.
Overall, Hemingway House delivers a beautiful final result and creates a warm, cozy literary atmosphere. It also exposes a few areas where MiniCity could further improve, but none of them diminish the fact that this is a very enjoyable project.
A trip back to 1993
During my first trip to the United States in September 1993, we spent several unforgettable days travelling through Florida.
It was a three-day holiday weekend, most likely around Labor Day, and we decided to make the most of it.
One of the highlights was visiting Cape Canaveral, where we witnessed the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery (mission STS-51) on September 12, 1993.
This memory is particularly special to me because I am an aerospace engineer by profession, specializing in aerospace propulsion systems. Watching one of humanity’s greatest engineering achievements launch into space was therefore much more than a tourist attraction.
We were standing at a viewing point approximately nine miles from Launch Complex 39B, and I still vividly remember the incredible sensation when Discovery lifted off.
Even from that distance, the deep rumbling sound of the engines was so powerful that you could literally feel it resonating in your stomach. It was an unforgettable demonstration of the immense power generated by the Space Shuttle’s propulsion system as this flying colossus slowly accelerated into the Florida sky.
More than thirty years later, I can still recall that moment with remarkable clarity.
We also visited Epcot Center at Walt Disney World in Orlando before continuing our journey south to the Florida Keys.
One of my fondest memories was renting a small private boat just for the four of us. We spent a wonderful half-day on the water, snorkeling over coral reefs and simply enjoying the incredible atmosphere of the Keys.
Later that day, shortly before sunset, we arrived in Key West.
We visited the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum and, nearby, watched a live cat performance where trained cats were jumping through hoops and performing simple acrobatic tricks.
Back then, of course, everything was still photographed on traditional film. Fortunately, I was able to find the original photograph in my album, scan it, and use it in this build more than three decades later.
Suddenly, this Book Nook was no longer simply another project on my workbench. It became a small time machine.
First impressions
As expected from MiniCity, the overall material quality is excellent.
The kit contains:
- Several MDF sheets
- Transparent acrylic panels
- Multiple sheets of stickers
- Three metal animal trophy heads (mouflon, rhino and deer)
- Dust cover
- Tweezers
- Glue
- Mini hammer
- Fully pre-wired lighting system
The printing quality, laser cutting and overall presentation are excellent.
One thing I particularly appreciated was the logical arrangement of parts on the frames. It was usually possible to completely empty individual frames before moving to the next ones, reducing clutter on the workbench.
Build experience
The build is divided into four sections and gradually constructs the lower floor, upper floor, furniture, and exterior walls.
The overall experience is enjoyable, although certainly aimed more at intermediate builders.
The largest challenges come from two areas:
- Loose tolerances
- Electrical wiring instructions
Many joints were simply too loose and required additional gluing. This occurred repeatedly throughout the entire build.
The lighting system itself is MiniCity’s typical pre-wired solution. While everything is color-coded, the wire colors do not match the manual illustrations, making some interpretation necessary.
Fortunately, the cable lengths make identification relatively straightforward.
The manual itself is fully colored and printed on quality paper, but some steps require interpretation, especially regarding cable routing.
The biggest challenge comes later during the structural assembly when several large sections must be assembled simultaneously while also managing the wiring.
Fortunately, everything can be solved with patience, but this is definitely not a kit to rush through.
Customizations
As always, I couldn’t resist adding a few personal touches.
3D Hemingway cats
Hemingway House in Key West is famous for its population of cats, many of which are descendants of Hemingway’s original six-toed cats.
MiniCity includes several 2D cats, but I naturally replaced most of them with 3D printed cats:
- One cat lying at the front entrance
- One ginger cat sitting among the bookshelves
- One white-and-ginger cat relaxing on a chair
I intentionally left one original 2D cat in the background, where its flat appearance is hardly noticeable.
Flowers
I replaced the supplied 2D flowers with miniature greenery. The flowers are only mildly visible in the final model, but they add a subtle touch of realism.
Trophy heads
Three supplied metal trophy heads (mouflon, rhino and deer)
Using acrylic markers, I painted them to better resemble their natural appearance. The mouflon turned out particularly well.
Lamp improvement
I did not particularly like one of the lamps on the right side because its shade was constructed from flat cross-shaped pieces.
I replaced it with a handmade paper shade from spare material, which immediately improved its appearance.
My personal Key West memory
One of my favourite modifications was replacing the front signboard.
I removed the supplied boat picture and replaced it with my own photograph taken during my visit to Key West in 1993.
The photograph captures the live cat performance we attended shortly before sunset.
I added the caption “Key West 1993” and placed it at the front of the build.
This may actually be my favourite customization in the entire project because it perfectly connects my own life story with the Book Nook itself.
Edge painting
As with most of my builds, I invested a considerable amount of time into edge painting.
I coloured almost every visible edge using acrylic markers, with the exception of those intentionally left in natural wood colour to preserve the laser-cut appearance.
This additional effort significantly enhances the overall atmosphere and realism of the finished model.
It does add several extra hours to the build, but in my opinion it is absolutely worthwhile and elevates the final presentation considerably.
What I liked
Excellent material quality
Beautiful final appearance
Nice combination of MDF and acrylic parts
Well illuminated interior
Logical organization of parts on the sheets
Great nostalgic atmosphere
Plenty of opportunities for customization
Areas for improvement
Many loose joints requiring additional gluing
Wiring instructions are not always clear
Assembly of the main structure can be frustrating
Final verdict
Hemingway House is, first and foremost, a very good Book Nook in its own right.
Even without any customizations, MiniCity has created an attractive, cozy, and highly detailed literary scene that successfully captures the atmosphere of Ernest Hemingway’s world. The combination of books, warm lighting, the bar area, decorative details, and the overall architecture creates a very pleasant final result.
This is not a groundbreaking or revolutionary design, nor is it MiniCity’s most technically ambitious project, but it is a very well-balanced one. It offers plenty of details to discover, a warm atmosphere, and enough opportunities for builders to add their own personal touches if they choose to do so.
The build experience itself is slightly held back by loose tolerances, some unclear wiring instructions, and one particularly frustrating structural assembly stage. Fortunately, none of these issues are deal-breakers, and patient builders will be rewarded with an impressive finished model.
For me personally, this project became even more special because it reconnected me with memories from a memorable trip through Florida in 1993. However, that should not overshadow the fact that Hemingway House is already a strong kit on its own merits.
The customizations and personal memories simply added another layer of enjoyment rather than compensating for any shortcomings.
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely yes.
I would particularly recommend it to intermediate builders who enjoy urban scenes, literary themes, warm atmospheres, and kits that offer enough freedom to add their own creativity while still being enjoyable straight out of the box.
At the end of the day, Hemingway House reminded me why I enjoy this hobby so much. Sometimes a Book Nook is simply a beautiful miniature world. Sometimes it also becomes a vehicle for personal memories. This kit has the potential to be both.
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