Star Trek / Space Themed Baby Room

[FatherRob]

Good morning...

My wife and I are expecting our second child, a boy, in October. I got to pick the decor, and I want to try to do a space-themed room. I've seen a few things online, but nothing has yet fully appealed to me.

Has anyone here put together a baby or kid's room based on Star Trek or space? If so, any suggestions, hints, etc?

Rob+

 

[FalTorPan]

Congratulations on young 'un number two! My wife and I are expecting our first at the end of August.

I knew I wouldn't get away with a spacey, sci-fi themed baby room... so I never gave it any thought.

A mobile made from the old Star Trek Micro Machines might be fun.

 

[FatherRob]

Congratulations on young 'un number two! My wife and I are expecting our first at the end of August.

I knew I wouldn't get away with a spacey, sci-fi themed baby room... so I never gave it any thought.

A mobile made from the old Star Trek Micro Machines might be fun.

Thanks! The first one was life-changing... hard telling how much more life-changing number two will be!!! Be prepared for an awesome experience, though, when yours comes!

I didn't try with number 1... but with number two, I decided to drop the idea and it stuck.

I'm thinking a bit bigger picture at the moment... design the room like a cabin, or just do a more traditional space room. Add ship models, or do astronomy photos... just not sure.

I like the mobile idea!

Rob+

 

[Kaiser]

Congrats on having a Second child

 

[JarodRussell]

That sounds kinda awkward. Nothing speaks against stars on the ceiling, though.

 

[FatherRob]

That sounds kinda awkward. Nothing speaks against stars on the ceiling, though.

Not sure what is awkward... we're just trying to figure out some concepts for how to design the room, and how specific to go with the space theme. I am thinking of building a few models to hang from the ceiling... how dark to paint the walls... how much specifically Trek stuff to put into the room.

Now, if I wanted to build a replica of the TOS bridge with the astrogator as the crib and Kirk's chair as the rocker-recliner, with full SFX, etc... THAT would be awkward, but my wife is open to and excited by a space-themed room.

Rob+

 

[B.J.]

I just realized who you were. It's been a while, welcome back!

I don't imagine that you'd want to get the walls too dark, especially for a baby's room. Robert McCall's artwork is (of course) space-themed, but most of it is surprisingly bright. I don't imagine you'd do something near as complex as his work, but you could take some inspiration from it. If you're up for it, I'd try to go for horizon-like gradient, going from bright at the bottom of the wall to blues at the top.

 

[FatherRob]

I just realized who you were. It's been a while, welcome back!

Hi, B.J.! Thanks for the welcome.

It's been a busy few years. We have a nearly 20 month old daughter, I work full time at the hospital, and part time in my new parish assignment... hasn't left much time for Trek. Back in the fall I started watching through TNG and stalled out near the end of S3. Just managed to pick back up. Trying to rearrange some things in life to take my hobbies back up again.

I clicked through your link and saw the toon version of First Contact. That's a really neat and light space theme... may think of something similar to that! That was quite creative!

Rob+

 

[B.J.]

I clicked through your link and saw the toon version of First Contact. That's a really neat and light space theme... may think of something similar to that! That was quite creative!

Thanks! You know, I had never considered using those for that purpose before. Second perspective and all....

Once you're done with all this, you of course will need to post some pics!

 

[FatherRob]

Some exciting things are happening with this project. We found a National Geographic phases of the moon light to put up, and we may get the Tholian Web re-release of the AMT Enterprise kit (it's made fron glow-in-the-dark plastic). Also came across the old Pilgrim Observer model that has been re-released. I'll be able to put my small telescope in the room too. Looking forward to sharing more, but, for the moment, has anyone built the glow-in-the-dark kit? Any thoughts?

Rob+

 

[Klaus]

I have no model advice to offer, but BJ's designs would be perfect for a kid's room...

 

[Ziz]

The glow Enterprise kit is the same as the original TOS E model that's been around since the beginning. They just added the background sheet, a couple of Tholian ships (which you need to build some kind of display stand for on your own) and decals to call it the Defiant (if you want it to be accurate to the episode rather than be the Enterprise.)

As far as build specifics, I don't have one but the only thing you'll really want to do is give any glue mating surfaces a light sanding to make it easier for the glue to "bite". If you've ever built model kits, glow plastic tends to have the same effect on glue as chrome does - the joints are very weak if you just try to glue the surface as is.

 

[B.J.]

I have no model advice to offer, but BJ's designs would be perfect for a kid's room...

Now that you mention it....

FatherRob contacted me about doing a couple of pieces for their room, and he's given permission to go ahead and show you what I have so far.

This first one is of the Constellation. The ship itself is pretty much done, just need to incorporate a good background.

The second one is not much more than a sketch at this point, so I'll show that one later once I get a bit further along with it.

 

[Klaus]

Awesome!... is there a cheery planet-killer lurking around there somewhere?

 

[FatherRob]

No planet killer planned...

In addition to what BJ will be showing here, I am building up the old Lindberg "Space Base and Satellite Explorer" model kit, as well as an Academy 1/288 space shuttle. I got JBOT Decals to modify their Moonraker set into a UN Livery. The shuttle will be named the Constellation (notice a theme?), it will have a UN blue based paint job with the UN emblem in place of the Drax roundlet. I am still mulling over the External Tank... I know nothing major was done to it in Moonraker, or any other space movie I am aware of... but I feel like I should do something other than paint it white and be done with it. Just not sure what. Any suggestions?

Due to cost, I am not going to buy the Tholian web kit, but I may dig out my unassembled Enterprise B kit and put it together.

I also plan to hang some 'planets' from the ceiling, and then hope to get a starry night projector.

Rob+

 

[FatherRob]

Here is a copy of the WIP decal sheet that I was sent by JBOT Decals. It isn't the final version, as I made some changes from this point, but it makes the paint scheme very apparent. I am going with the white ET on this one, though I am trying to consider ways to make it a bit more interesting... we shall see, though at 1/288 it is a challenge.

Major changes from this iteration are the removal of the black circle around the UN logo on the wing, and the words United Nations being printed in black Helvecta, just like United States is above.

 

[Q2UnME]

When my kids were young, I made a crib mobile out of the "Enterprise Incident" models. I built the models per the kit instructions, painted one Klingon (Romulan) bright blue, the other bright red and kept the Enterprise white. The base mobile I got at a garage sale, ditched the cutesy animals and hung the ships in their place. Kids loved it.

Cheap and fun Trek mobile.

Q2UnME

 

[B.J.]

^^You really do like the name "Constellation", don't you? The final shuttle should look interesting!

Actually, according to the original committee recommendations, "Constellation" would have been the 4th Space Shuttle. Here's the full list:

Recommended List of Orbiter Names
(In descending order of preference)

1. Constitution
2. Independence
3. America
4. Constellation
5. Enterprise [reserved for possible 5th orbiter, to carry on OV-101's name]
6. Discoverer
7. Endeavour
8. Liberty
9. Freedom
10. Eagle
11. Kitty Hawk
12. Pathfinder
13. Adventurer
14. Prospector
15. Peace

Funny that Enterprise could have been an actual space-worthy shuttle if the Trekkies didn't get their way!

 

[backstept]

^^You really do like the name "Constellation", don't you? The final shuttle should look interesting!

Actually, according to the original committee recommendations, "Constellation" would have been the 4th Space Shuttle. Here's the full list:

Recommended List of Orbiter Names
(In descending order of preference)

1. Constitution
2. Independence
3. America
4. Constellation
5. Enterprise [reserved for possible 5th orbiter, to carry on OV-101's name]
6. Discoverer
7. Endeavour
8. Liberty
9. Freedom
10. Eagle
11. Kitty Hawk
12. Pathfinder
13. Adventurer
14. Prospector
15. Peace

Funny that Enterprise could have been an actual space-worthy shuttle if the Trekkies didn't get their way!

I'm glad we got Discovery instead of Discoverer

The Space Shuttle Discoverer-ererererer can't get the engine started :P

 

[FatherRob]

^^You really do like the name "Constellation", don't you? The final shuttle should look interesting!

Sure do... not quite sure why. As a kid, I never liked playing with the Enterprise, as that was Kirk's ship... and I wanted to play with a Connie, so the Constellation, being the only ship with a registry number on screen in TOS became a bit of a enamorment. I eventually moved on to the USS Star Empire as my toy, then a galaxy class, the USS Magellanic Clouds, and finally developed my own TNG era Shuttlecarrier, the USS Turner Joy. As I have 'matured' (HAH!) though, the Constellation has come back to me as a favorite. For the past decade, I have mainly done projects related to ships with that name.

Rob+