An Alternative to Collecting Ships and Merch: Looking For That In-Universe Feeling
My Passion for bringing flavors of the Star Trek universe into my living spaces started when I was a teen in the mid-nineties. I bought some of those Acoroc “Octime” plates and bowls for myself after seeing them on Star Trek, they gave me a feeling of bringing the world of Star Trek, that Utopia, into my own everyday life.
Some people make brining the universe of their fandom into reality an entire art form and turn their house or apartment into a Starfleet bridge for example. I love looking at pictures of those results, but they are not very do-able for me. Also, when I look at the living quarters or spaces that are not that technical in Trek, I see are lots of Ideas and ways to make a home more Trek without breaking the bank or turning my own studio into a bridge. And since cultivating different aesthetics have become something like fandoms of their own, I took inspiration from that movement, started to give my In-universe lifestyle philosophy more weight again.
This tweet makes so much sense, especially since the TNG/Trek aesthetic is bubbling around us, in “Lower Decks” or in many 90ies Trek re-watches that became especially popular during the pandemic. On top of all of that, the interior design aesthetic used in 90ies Star Trek (especially TNG) is having a moment. That late 80ies and early 90ies chic heavily coming back via interior design trends. So a Star Trek inspired -core aesthetic is only a matter of time, if you ask me.
To break some observations down and make the concept of #Warpcore more understandable, I will start with a sample from The Next Generation:
Example: Living Quarters on the Enterprise D
First Look: What makes a living space in TNG?
- Eggshell or greige walls with gray accents
- Dark red, burgundy wall-to-wall carpet floors
- Sculptural, round, furniture
- Glass top tables. They are nearly everywhere on the Enterprise D.
- Fresh flowers and plants
- Fruit bowls (they are a Star Trek standard)
- Art: Paintings, Sculptures
- Candleholders, old flames do not die (Haha, Ronin!)
- (Natural) Stone elements (Picard’s desk)
This quick list helps put a finger on what makes that specific look work. A great starting point for pinpointing items used on screen, check out Star Trek + Design. The next thing you can do is find pieces that fit the type of furniture and decor they used in Star Trek. It can be as subtle as using the typical “envelope” elements like the eggshell/greige walls with maybe some gray accents. And if you are a fan of wall-to wall carpets, go for dark red, by all means.