Kirkpatrick, who studied architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology, has been obsessed with Lego for several years now, to the point it has impacted her living situation. When the 28-year-old moved from a small apartment in Palatine to a garden unit just west of Rogers Park, she did so to be closer to her job downtown, but also to have a dedicated Lego room to work on new builds. “In Palatine, I had all my Lego in the dining room, and as the years went by, the Lego collection grew into the living room and continued to move out,” says Kirkpatrick, who participates in 15 to 20 shows a year and estimates she spends between $5,000 and $10,000 annually on Lego. “I quickly realized I needed to get a bigger space.”
