It's Halloween, a time when many cultures honour the dead. To mark the occasion, we take a tour through some of the most interesting final resting places dreamed up by designers, including a biodegradable urn that turns a deceased loved one into a tree and colourful zip-up coffins designed to make death less depressing.
Bios Urn is a biodegradable urn that turns the ashes of a dead person into a tree.
An incubator aids the process, and users can monitor the progress of the plant's growth using a smartphone app.
Find out more about Bios Incube by Bios Urn ›
Zip-up coffins by Visser & Meijwaard
Visser & Meijwaard designed these partially reusable coffins as alternatives to the somber caskets used during traditional funeral ceremonies.
Each coffin is made up of three detachable parts: an undercarriage, a stretcher and a PVC cover. Zippers allow the shell to be opened and closed as necessary.
Find out more about Zip-up coffins by Visser & Meijwaard ›
Neil Conley made his series of funerary urns from reclaimed carbon fibre.
The products are part of a project finding uses for carbon fibre extracted from decommissioned aircraft through new incineration processes.
Find out more about Earn/Urn by Neil Conley ›
Mark the last veil by Roos Kuipers
Roos Kuipers' vision for a final resting place includes an open coffin where the dead body is gradually covered in layers of fabric.
The piece is made of elm with rounded corners and slots in the side to accommodate six layers of bamboo, cotton and silk fabric.
Find out more about Mark the last veil by Roos Kuipers ›
Memento – After Time Elapsed by Geraldine Spilker
In response to a recent increase in the number of cremations, Geraldine Spilker's project provides an alternative way to keep ashes that could replace the traditional urn.
The designer developed a process of binding ashes with resin, creating a tactile object from cremated remains.
Find out more about Memento – After Time Elapsed by Geraldine Spilker ›
Misirizzi by Wolfgang Natlacen
Natlacen's Misirizzi – which literally translates as "roly-poly" toy – containers are designed as an irreverent take on the traditional urns used to store remains.
The egg-shaped container rests on a curved base, and is constructed from rot-resistant acacia wood – the same material often used by ancient Egyptians for sarcophagi.
Find out more about Misirizzi by Wolfgang Natlacen ›
Mourning Objects by Anna Schwamborn
Anna Schwamborn's range of Mourning Objects jewellery is made with the hair and cremated ashes of a dead loved one.
The series comprises a rosary, necklace and a watch chain tear catcher.
Find out more about Mourning Objects by Anna Schwamborn ›
Dutch designer Mark Sturkenboom's 21 Grams "memory box" contains a dildo with a compartment for storing the ashes of a deceased partner.
The box opens using a gold-plated brass key that can be worn as a necklace, and incorporates an amplifier for playing music from an iPhone that slots into the base.
Find out more about 21 Grams by Mark Sturkenboom ›