Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s Ready Room on the USS Enterprise-D. A ready room is a room located adjacent to or near the bridge on Federation Starships and Installations in the Star Trek science fiction universe. This room serves as the commanding officer’s office. But did you know the actor that plays Picard, Patrick Stewart, disapproves of having a pet fish in the ready room?
Patrick Stewart despised having pet fish in Picard’s ready room, seeing it as an affront to a show that valued the dignity of different species.
The Concept of the Ready Room
A ready room was first seen aboard the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Galaxy-class starships had two ready rooms. The main bridge was right next to the primary ready room. There was also a smaller ready room next to the battle bridge for use when the ship’s two sections were separated. This ready room was only seen once in the pilot episode Encounter at Farpoint.
A ready room allowed the commanding officer to have a private office space near the main bridge, rather than in his or her quarters, which may have been some distance from the bridge. The CO could use the ready room to conduct official business, hold private subspace radio communications, hold private meetings, staff briefings, or even use the room as a sanctuary of sorts. This person would be very close to the bridge in case his or her presence was required on it. (Source: Annex Fandom Star Trek)
Captain Picard’s Ready Room
Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s ready room on the Enterprise-D was located to the left of the Captain’s chair, near the forward turbolift. This room had a desk with a small computer reader, chairs, and a couch. The room’s walls were orange panels, and the floor was red carpeting.
It needs to be clarified whether Captain Picard chose this color, if it was unique to the Enterprise, or if the ready rooms on other Galaxy-class ships used the same color scheme. Behind the Captain’s desk was a single extended, thin viewport. There was also an interior doorway in the ready room leading to another small room housing the food replicator, as well as access to a private restroom.
Behind the couch, Captain Picard had a large painting of the Enterprise-D on the wall. The painting was done by Andrew Probert, a main concept artist for the series. This room also had a large volume of William Shakespeare’s complete works. Picard had his lionfish Livingston in an aquarium near the viewport. He also had a model of the USS Stargazer in the room, his first starship command. He’d also come to show off some archaeological finds in his ready room.
Captain Picard saw his ready room as a private sanctuary as well as an office. He would hold staff briefings in the ready room on occasion, but most command staff briefings were held in the deck one briefing room.
Captain Picard and his command crew were quickly reassigned to the Enterprise-E after the Enterprise-D was destroyed. Like the Enterprise-D, this new Enterprise also had a ready room adjacent to the bridge, although it was on the opposite side of the bridge. Some shots of the ready room showed an aquarium for Livingston, but those shots were never used in any of the Enterprise-E films.
This waiting room had grey paneling and blue carpeting. It also had gold-plated models of previous Enterprise vessels, similar to the display in the Enterprise briefing D’s room. (Source: Annex Fandom Star Trek)
Image from Rollingstones