No Longer the Last Nail in the Coffin: A Design Duo Wants to Zip You Up Instead

Many people dread the idea of being locked inside a coffin and buried. But thanks to a Dutch design team’s innovative new zip-up coffins, that idea may be a lot less terrifying now.

Credit: Visser & Meijwaard

Design duo Steven Visser and Vera Meijwaard wanted to bring a fresh take to coffins, getting rid of the scary stuff entirely. Rather than crafting stiff, wooden caskets that need to be nailed shut, they designed sleeker, more flattering resting places, with zippers in place of nails. They tell Dezeen, “With the zipper, we got rid of the claustrophobic idea of getting nailed into your coffin.”

The result is a work of art that looks nothing like a traditional coffin. The base is made of light-colored wood, making it look more like a piece of modern Ikea decor than something designed for a funeral. Like traditional coffins, this one features a rectangular box that holds the body, but it’s made of vibrant, brightly colored PVC instead of oak. The flexible PVC shell zips together, creating a nearly seamless silhouette.

Credit: Visser & Meijwaard

But Visser & Meijwaard wanted to do more than make more visually appealing coffins. They also wanted to change the way we handle our dead. Using a wooden coffin, funeral directors place the body inside, nail it shut and put the entire casket in the ground — a process that is expensive, takes up a great deal of space and has a massive impact on the environment.

Credit:  Visser & Meijwaard

Visser & Meijwaard’s coffins, on the other hand, are cost-effective and partially reusable. They are made of three detachable sections: an undercarriage, a stretcher and a PVC cover. Using their design, a funeral director first wraps the body in a sheet, then lays it out on the thin wooden stretcher attached to the undercarriage. The director then covers the stretcher with the flexible PVC shell (which comes in a variety of colors), and zips it shut before the memorial. Once the funeral is over, the family can choose whether to have their loved one cremated or buried. If they prefer a burial, the funeral director simply removes the PVC casing. Since PVC is easy to clean and sanitize, it can be reused, making it a greener choice.

Customizable pieces like Visser & Meijwaard’s caskets are an ideal choice for families who want to display a loved one’s body, but feel that typical coffins are too boring and somber. Their designs take funerals out of the subdued, depressing realm of yesteryear and updates them with big, bold lines and vibrant colors that are destined to put a smile on your face.