While light and bright are not the first words that come to mind when considering a funeral home, the idea for London’s Exit Here was to “create an open and engaging space in stark contrast to traditional funeral parlors that have previously been dark and unwelcoming spaces,” says Ben Masterton-Smith, director of Transit Studio. The local firm was tasked with developing a retail-like environment for the first location of Exit Here, the brainchild of restaurateur and Great British Menu judge Oliver Peyton and third-generation funeral director Barry Pritchard.

Located in the city’s Chiswick district, the clean design includes oak flooring, privacy screens, and bright yellow and blue hues in the private rooms. Curved white walls and arched doorways foster a sense of warmth, with natural light flooding spaces even when the screens are closed. Vintage artwork depicts celestial scenes to suggest ethereal otherworldliness, Masterson-Smith says.

“We were working with Oliver to change the conversation from the sadness of death to a celebration of life,” he says. The firm also designed a range of unique caskets and urns, including one that features a hand-drawn design channeling the Day of the Dead festival. “It’s about creating choices so someone can plan a completely personalized experience.”