51-year-old Canadian social worker, Line Rainville, is a Star Trek superfan. She loves the 1960s Original Series so much that she spent $30,000 to bring the Enterprise spaceship into her basement. Rainville re-created parts of the bridge, transporter room, observation deck, recreation room and Spock’s quarters in her home in Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, Quebec.
You’ve got to be a Star Trek fan yourself to truly appreciate what Rainville has done here. It wasn’t easy for her to find pieces of furniture and décor that matched the theme of the series. She used custom-built furniture for the stations on the bridge that would face a central viewing screen (the TV). She had to get her widescreen TV to fit the space reserved for bridge viewing screen, which was a tricky process.
Rainville scoured the internet for small décor items like replica panel buttons, a tricorder, and a 3D chess set. She ended up recreating many of the props – food replicators, utility piping (from the Enterprise corridors), a set of Vulcan bells and colored floppy disk-style rectangles. She spent several hours searching for a bedspread fabric to match the one on Spock’s bed in his quarters. Ultimately, she ended up creating her own bedspread with the same pattern.
It took Rainville over a year to complete the entire project. “At some points, I took so much time to find out the precise item that it seemed like an obsession,” she said. “I had put in so much energy seeking what I wanted that to accept failure is difficult, even to this day. Although people say they are impressed with the décor, I know well each inaccuracy, the exact places that I could improve.”
Rainville has loved Star Trek and her beloved Captain Kirk since she was little. “I was 9 when I first watched ‘Star Trek’ in French with my father,” she said. “I became addicted to this show and during the week I looked forward to each Tuesday at seven for another episode.”
“I enjoyed Star Trek because it was about space, unknown worlds and aliens who often ended up being more friendly than expected. I enjoyed learning about Vulcans and seeing the interactions between the characters.” Rainville said that she was so fond of Kirk that Spock made her jealous! She wished to be in Spock’s place, around the captain all the time.
When the house was finally complete, Rainville was overcome with emotion. “All at once, I was aboard the Enterprise. Standing there, being 51 years old, I was kind of beamed back into that 9-year-old girl’s mind who so often wished her beloved Captain Kirk could bring her aboard his vessel,” she said.
“The illusion had become my reward. I told my mother and my sister that it was so strange. I’m not sure they have fully understood how I was feeling. But they were there, supportive and sharing this unique moment.”
At the housewarming party, Renee plans to serve her guests with Vulcan Plomeek soup and colored food blocks. I wish her transporter room really worked; I’d love to be ‘beamed up’ to the Enterprise for a party!
Photos: Line Rainville
via CTV News
