Overview
Grief can take any number of forms. Yet the same isn't necessarily true of funerals. While coming together with friends and family is a vital part of celebrating a lost loved one, the trappings that surround this process – the hearse, the funeral home, the traditional overpriced coffin – can often seem a little impersonal.
It's for this reason that The House has us so intrigued. Co-founded by Kylee Stevens, Morna Seres and Christian Wills, all of whom share a background in design and the arts, this new Sydney-based funeral service is offering an alternative to the industry standard, allowing for a truly personal celebration of a person's life.
"We service memory artistically through curated reflection, music, light, sound, performance, food and ritual held within our exclusive venues," reads a mission statement on the company website. "Whether it is a large affair, or a simple gathering of friends and family, The House provides the opportunity to say goodbye in a compelling, cultural and modern manner."
"Our way of working with clients doesn't really exist in the industry," Stevens told Concrete Playground. "I believe there's space for tradition, particularly in a moment of grief...but if someone doesn't want something traditional, what are their options?"
While The House has only been operating since the tail end of March, Stevens sees a world of "infinite possibilities." Their first service, for example, was held in a gallery, and featured a room full of suspended images and incorporated poetry written by the deceased. Friends and family were also invited to be involved in the planning and installation stages, which in turn became another way for them to process their grief. "I think each family will be quite different, said Stevens. "Some will want to come forward and work [with us], and some won't. It's our role to navigate that."
Despite their ambitious and personalised approach, the cost of a funeral at The House is in line with industry standards. "We talk about substituting costs within the traditional framework," explains Stevens. "You can spend $3500 to $6500 on a coffin. Making a more ecologically friendly, better designed choice, you can go as low as $550. So you can substitute out existing cost structures that a traditional model offers, and replace them with things that are more memorable."
For more information about The House, visit their website at www.thehouse.global.