This Custom Lego-Inspired Mac Mini Case Is Retrofuturism Done Right
This Custom Lego-Inspired Mac Mini Case Is Retrofuturism Done Right
https://gizmodo.com/this-custom-lego-inspired-mac-mini-case-is-retrofuturism-done-right-2000731897
Publish Date: 2026-03-10 15:10:00
Source Domain: gizmodo.com
A couple of months ago, Eindhoven-based designer Paul Staal was thinking about a new project: a smart dashboard for his home office. His idea was to integrate the dashboard into a 3D-printed shell that paid homage to Lego’s classic 2×2 sloped computer brick, a piece that’ll be instantly recognizable to anyone who has spent any time with vintage Space Lego sets.
Eventually, Staal tells Gizmodo, he decided to combine the dashboard into a case for his Mac Mini: “[I thought], ‘Why would I add another device to my desk? Why not just make it large enough for my [computer] instead?’”
The original design stuck closely to that of the Lego brick, but Staal found the result “bland and boring”: without the detailing on the front of the brick, the case was essentially just a large right-angled triangle. But then inspiration struck: why not combine the Lego silhouette with the aesthetics of another 1980s design icon?
© Paul Staal / Watt IV
The result was the M2x2, a case that takes its inspiration from both Lego’s classic console brick and the original Apple Macintosh. It’s 3D printed with a filament that’s an absolute dead ringer for the latter’s beige plastic shell, and equipped with a 7” touch screen, multiple USB-C ports, an SD card reader, and a handle for portability.
© Paul Staal / Watt IV
The design is full of clever touches: for example, the two large studs atop the case are both functional, with one serving as a volume knob for Staal’s Bluetooth speaker and the other as a wireless charger for his AirPods and Apple Watch. (They’re also adorned with actual Lego studs that can accommodate a mini-figure—or, indeed, one of the bricks that served as the design’s inspiration.) Anyone else using the design can customize the functionality to their liking: “I made the design for this case modular,” Staal explains, “so if anyone wants to make one, they can choose what they want to use the studs for.”
© Paul…
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