Eco-Responsible Furniture: This Bookshelf Can Be Reassembled Into A Coffin After The Owner’s Death
Interview With ArtistWhen we have a quiet moment to ourselves, we sometimes think about the world we’ll leave behind after we’re gone. Will the world be a better or worse place when you’re no longer in it? That’s one of the questions that drives people to consider the impact they have on the environment.
Designer William Warren created a set of bookshelves that will last you a lifetime: they can be reassembled as a coffin. In other words, the ‘Shelves for Life’ is a piece of furniture that will follow you on your final journey.
“The wood will color, the surfaces will mark and stain, and over the years and the furniture will become a part of you,” Warren writes. “When you die, the shelves can be taken apart and reassembled as a coffin. The brass plate under the bottom shelf, that tells the story about this transformation, is then flipped over and your dates inscribed on it.”
Scroll down for Bored Panda’s interview with Warren.
William Warren designed a set of bookshelves that can be reassembled into a coffin
Image credits: William Warren
Image credits: William Warren
Image credits: William Warren
According to Warren, people, in general, were at first surprised and then amused by his design. “It’s not everyone who sees the charm but some do. People are very pleased when they realize the designs can be downloaded for free.”
The designer admitted that there have been critics who did not enjoy his work: “I offered the design to a Japanese company when I first made it but they really didn’t like the reminder of death. Since then, some squeal and some smile.”
Warren revealed to Bored Panda that he’s still busy working away as a designer. Among his recent projects, he designed all the furniture and interiors in a new children’s hospital in Edinburgh and new gates for Kew Gardens in London. “I’m also teaching design at several universities and developing other music and video projects.”
The designer added that “we are all going to die” at some point and there’s no need to ignore it or try to forget it. “If you don’t think about it in advance, you’ll be buried or burnt in a chipboard box with paper that looks like wood and plastic handles that look like brass. Your grieving family will pay £400 for this £40 piece of rubbish because nobody argues with an undertaker. Better to have something you’ve made, something solid and something that has lived with you in life and has the stains and scars to prove it.”
This is how you can convert the shelves into a coffin
Image credits: William Warren
Image credits: William Warren
The eco-friendly shelves were first launched during the 2005 London Design Festival at the British Library and have made waves on the internet ever since.
Warren runs a furniture and product design consultancy, is a Senior Lecturer at London Metropolitan University, and also lectures at three other universities and colleges. His design philosophy is all about creating emotional experiences, making us think about our belongings, and his designs often feature humorous conceptual twists.
The designer has his very own set of ‘Shelves for Life’ and will send you a free personal design if you send him your measurements. According to Warren, these bookshelves will “store all your knowledge and prized possessions.”
He added that “it will be a visible part of your life and will get coffee stains and burns on it. So it will mean more when you use it as shelves and it will mean more when you are buried in it.”
Warren told the Financial Times that coffins are some of the most expensive pieces of furniture that people will ever buy while having the worst quality. “I’m happy for as many people to have mine as possible,” he said.
What do you think of Warren’s shelves, dear Pandas? Share your thoughts with everyone in the comment section.
Here’s how some people reacted to Warren’s design. A lot of folks loved the idea
How about download the design, cut the pieces, store them flat somewhere and when your time comes, your family can assemble it as a coffin?
Load More Replies...I was surprised the designer is British. It seems more like a Scandinavian concept to me. And a brilliant one at that.
I think this is a great idea. Coffins can be incredibly expensive, so this could help keep funeral costs down.
Load More Replies...Well....that's f****d up. No I don't want to spend my life looking at my coffin, thanks.
If you are intrigued by this idea, you should check out Caitlin Doughty's books & YouTube channel. I especially enjoyed her first book ("Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory")
Yeah but would it be allowed in a crematorium? Seeing as it is wood and just gets burned you would imagine so but they didn't allow my dads body to be cremated wearing his favourite tie (along with a suit I might add) cause of what it was made out of!
I have so many questions... - Do you have to build it yourself before you die? Or do you have to nominate one of your kids, who you think is the best at assembling flat-pack furniture? - Will there be a cheap, particle-board version available from IKEA one day? - Will this eventually be a freebie from your funeral cover provider (instead of a Parker pen... because who writes that much anymore?)? - Will there be a choice of woods (because I'm allergic to Oak wood)? - Will there be a recycled composite version one day? - When will the plans be available for those who want to 3D print one at home? - When will the first YouTube or TikTok reviews and "how to" videos be available? Ohhh... It's just too exciting for words !!! hahahahahahaha
I don't mind the concept but in case of cremations, a cardboard box will do...
You could use this for the visitation and funeral, then get cremated in a cardboard box, and someone else could use it as a bookshelf again.
Load More Replies...Hilarious. I am not offended at graveyard humor. I expect that those who oppose the design are straight atheist.
So true, if you know where your going it doesn't matter. It really shows your at peace, bring it on.
Load More Replies...In the age of cremation and e-readers, this seems like a rather pointless line of thinking
Pretty clever! We are all going to die so embrace rather than fear. Makes life much more vibrant and exciting.
What a morbid reminder of your impending death to select a book from?!
I say it's a great idea. Now how can one buy one? How can one get the plans for to build one? Can anyone help me with this? 429jac@gmail.com
My husband died in February 20, as we sat by his deathbed my son asked if it would be possible for him to make his fathers coffin, I called our chosen local Undertaker who was extremely helpful get the crematoriums requirements for coffins tobe used at the crem. My son made from T&G planks(and floor he’d just pulled up). For all concerned we saw it as an act of love from a son for a father. I would love one of these bookshelf coffins...it’s a great design.
I like the design and fully intend to get one when I need even one more bookshelf, just because it is genius in design and function. And that's saying something because I have already decided to donate my body to science when I'm finished with it. Goodness knows the important parts will be elsewhere doing other things, and I see no reason to take up space when I could be feeding the plants that fed me for most of my life.
Clarry Petterson, of the New Zealand Do-It-Yourself Casket Company, did this back in the 80s. Oddly enough, I was cleaning out a file and found an old Rolodex card I made for his contact info the other night. As I recall, he said they make good hope chests and whatnot.
I like knowing that I would be saving a lot of expense for my end of life.
If you have to see your own coffin, you will have to repent and be nearer to God
"...over here is my sectional, my end table, OH! And this is where my dead body will be..."
I laughed and thought of all the books on my non coffin case, hilarious to me!
Honestly after this damn virus....I get it. Wouldn't buy it but get it.
Oh, no no no no no! Not at all! How sick someone's mind should be to create this!?!
Of all things to recycle or reuse you make one that's a con stand reminder that you will die?
I love that! It's a practical piece of furniture with a cool design then your family has the task of breaking it down to bury you. Brilliant...?
@carrot dude completely agree! What the hell, especially in these times! No coffins please
Boredpandas Who came up with these, and who makes them? Could it be the commie Chinese? They make everyfhing else...badly but they make it. These questions are for this article writers because if they wrote about it they must know...
Need to offer as a kit on Amazon.com for those of us who don't own power tools. And if they could make it from heavy-duty cardboard for those of us who plan to be cremated, that would be an extra bonus.
How about download the design, cut the pieces, store them flat somewhere and when your time comes, your family can assemble it as a coffin?
Load More Replies...I was surprised the designer is British. It seems more like a Scandinavian concept to me. And a brilliant one at that.
I think this is a great idea. Coffins can be incredibly expensive, so this could help keep funeral costs down.
Load More Replies...Well....that's f****d up. No I don't want to spend my life looking at my coffin, thanks.
If you are intrigued by this idea, you should check out Caitlin Doughty's books & YouTube channel. I especially enjoyed her first book ("Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory")
Yeah but would it be allowed in a crematorium? Seeing as it is wood and just gets burned you would imagine so but they didn't allow my dads body to be cremated wearing his favourite tie (along with a suit I might add) cause of what it was made out of!
I have so many questions... - Do you have to build it yourself before you die? Or do you have to nominate one of your kids, who you think is the best at assembling flat-pack furniture? - Will there be a cheap, particle-board version available from IKEA one day? - Will this eventually be a freebie from your funeral cover provider (instead of a Parker pen... because who writes that much anymore?)? - Will there be a choice of woods (because I'm allergic to Oak wood)? - Will there be a recycled composite version one day? - When will the plans be available for those who want to 3D print one at home? - When will the first YouTube or TikTok reviews and "how to" videos be available? Ohhh... It's just too exciting for words !!! hahahahahahaha
I don't mind the concept but in case of cremations, a cardboard box will do...
You could use this for the visitation and funeral, then get cremated in a cardboard box, and someone else could use it as a bookshelf again.
Load More Replies...Hilarious. I am not offended at graveyard humor. I expect that those who oppose the design are straight atheist.
So true, if you know where your going it doesn't matter. It really shows your at peace, bring it on.
Load More Replies...In the age of cremation and e-readers, this seems like a rather pointless line of thinking
Pretty clever! We are all going to die so embrace rather than fear. Makes life much more vibrant and exciting.
What a morbid reminder of your impending death to select a book from?!
I say it's a great idea. Now how can one buy one? How can one get the plans for to build one? Can anyone help me with this? 429jac@gmail.com
My husband died in February 20, as we sat by his deathbed my son asked if it would be possible for him to make his fathers coffin, I called our chosen local Undertaker who was extremely helpful get the crematoriums requirements for coffins tobe used at the crem. My son made from T&G planks(and floor he’d just pulled up). For all concerned we saw it as an act of love from a son for a father. I would love one of these bookshelf coffins...it’s a great design.
I like the design and fully intend to get one when I need even one more bookshelf, just because it is genius in design and function. And that's saying something because I have already decided to donate my body to science when I'm finished with it. Goodness knows the important parts will be elsewhere doing other things, and I see no reason to take up space when I could be feeding the plants that fed me for most of my life.
Clarry Petterson, of the New Zealand Do-It-Yourself Casket Company, did this back in the 80s. Oddly enough, I was cleaning out a file and found an old Rolodex card I made for his contact info the other night. As I recall, he said they make good hope chests and whatnot.
I like knowing that I would be saving a lot of expense for my end of life.
If you have to see your own coffin, you will have to repent and be nearer to God
"...over here is my sectional, my end table, OH! And this is where my dead body will be..."
I laughed and thought of all the books on my non coffin case, hilarious to me!
Honestly after this damn virus....I get it. Wouldn't buy it but get it.
Oh, no no no no no! Not at all! How sick someone's mind should be to create this!?!
Of all things to recycle or reuse you make one that's a con stand reminder that you will die?
I love that! It's a practical piece of furniture with a cool design then your family has the task of breaking it down to bury you. Brilliant...?
@carrot dude completely agree! What the hell, especially in these times! No coffins please
Boredpandas Who came up with these, and who makes them? Could it be the commie Chinese? They make everyfhing else...badly but they make it. These questions are for this article writers because if they wrote about it they must know...
Need to offer as a kit on Amazon.com for those of us who don't own power tools. And if they could make it from heavy-duty cardboard for those of us who plan to be cremated, that would be an extra bonus.
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