The USS Wisconsin, one of the largest battleships ever built arrived at Nauticus on the downtown Norfolk waterfront on December 7, 2000. It has been open to the public since then, providing tours of the main deck and a few spaces. However, Nauticus wanted the people to see more of the ship and what it was like to live on the ship. They then called Davis Interiors and we were happy to help!
The museum’s directors wanted the ship to look alive, as if it was still an active warship. Our team at Davis Interiors spent many hours going through each department on the ship to come up with ways to revamp the spaces. The most important thing was to keep the integrity of the ship intact. We only designed spaces to show how they would have looked during the ship’s active time in the Korean and Gulf Wars.
We made and provided new port hole curtains, rack curtains, new sofas, artwork, awnings, table covers, chairs, and carpet. We focused on even the smallest details to ensure the ship looked top notch! We used only shipboard approved materials to create all the shipboard furniture we supplied. The sofas were made out of aluminum and fire retardant foam. The curtains in the XO’s stateroom and in the berthing racks were all made out of 100% Nomex. Nomex is a flame retardant material used in every ship in the Navy.
Next time you are in Norfolk, VA, make sure to go take a tour of the USS Wisconsin!
