LEGO Set 31174-1 – Retro Telephone: Alternate Build Possibilities

The LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Retro Telephone (31174-1) is a compact time machine in brick form. With its rotary dial, handset, and bold color blocking, it channels the charm of mid-century design—yet it’s built with the versatility and clean geometry that make Creator parts so great for reimagining. That combination unlocks a surprising range of alternate builds: anything with boxy silhouettes, dials, speaker grilles, or simple mechanical details becomes fair game. The set’s inventory is particularly friendly to retro tech: curved slopes can become rounded speaker corners, printed/tiling elements stand in for tuning scales and cassette windows, and a healthy dose of plates and brackets allow sturdy, stud-on-show facades that feel perfectly “vintage.”

Because the model’s handset and base use modular sub-assemblies, builders can repurpose those chunks into other devices—think radios, tape decks, intercoms, or even miniature instruments—with believable proportions. The color palette leans into classic consumer electronics too, helping your finished alternates read as nostalgic objects on a shelf. And thanks to Creator’s focus on approachable techniques, these alternates are quick builds you can finish in a relaxed afternoon, making them ideal for a giftable desk display or a fun building session with kids. Below you’ll find curated alternates that transform the telephone’s parts into different icons of analog life. Each one captures that sweet spot of simplicity and style: enough detail to make you smile, but not so many pieces that the joy of building gets buried. If you love the aesthetic of dials, knobs, and clicky buttons, this set’s alternates will ring true—loud and clear.

Alternate Builds 

31174 Boom Box

Designer: nofans2
Get the instructions: https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-234956/nofans2/31174-boom-box/

31174 Radio

Designer: nofans2
Get the instructions: https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-234431/nofans2/31174-radio/