Skull Bliss and some (more!) changes to the Dining Room

Jul 1, 2015 | Dining Room | 17 comments


So as you know, I’ve been making a few little changes to my dining room in between other bits and pieces (and getting a new puppy which has miraculously taken up ALL of my time). I recently removed the gallery wall which of course then starts a whole process of everything needing to be changed. I call it the Decorating Domino Effect.

Well, when the good folks at Skullbliss contacted me about reviewing one of their beautifully-carved skulls, I already knew the perfect place it would go because I’d been looking for something to balance out the expanse left behind by removing the gallery. As much as I liked the mirror in that spot, it was only temporary as I wanted it back in my office where it was originally meant to be.

Check out the new addition to my dining room, a beautifully-carved skull from Skull Bliss

Now, I know not everyone would be thrilled having an animal head in their homes and if this is you, it’s fine. We’re all different, we all have different things we’re okay with and things that bother us and I have a feeling this may be one of those things that divides opinion. But for me, I eat meat (from grass-fed animals, again a personal choice), wear leather and I have no objection to having a cowhide rug – in fact, I adore my two cowhides (by-products of the meat industry) so I personally feel it would be hypocritical of me to object to something like this.

I've been making a few little changes to my dining room recently, come and take a look at the new addition to my gallery wall from Skull Bliss.

However, my first question to Skullbliss was how the carved cow skulls are acquired. The response from Skullbliss quelled any worry for me and I found it fascinating so I thought I’d share that with you here.

“We actually buy all our skulls from local butchers in Indonesia. So no animals are killed in order to create this home decor.
 
“Most Balinese are Hindus, which means they are deeply religious people and truly respect every living being. Still they have to kill animals for food, however they didn’t want to waste any parts of the animal and they had the idea that something should also be done with the by-products. So they cleaned the bones and started to carve traditional and religious symbols and ornaments into them. We were blown away by the idea to use the bones to create unique and breath-taking animal skulls – simply pieces of artwork for eternity and we just loved their approach to give each animal their dignity back by transforming them into pieces of artwork which are nothing less than captivating. 

“The process of cleaning the bones, preparing them for the carving procedure and adding the finishing touch to them (plus adding luscious black horns after everything else is done) is a process which takes around 1-2 weeks. The carving itself takes up to 3 full days where the craftsman carves numerous symbols and tribal ornaments into the bones. Usually their inspiration comes from their religious background like the Hindu god Ganesha or they carve other typically Asian symbols like dragons.”

So satisfied these are ethically sourced and cruelty-free, I chose the extra large cowskull with the rose detail from their collection for my home. I genuinely think every room should have something a little unusual in it and this really creates such a beautifully boho vibe which I adore. When it came in, I tentatively showed it to Wayne, not entirely sure what his reaction would be (he’s not that keen on my love of gold skulls scattered around my house) – happily, he thought it was exquisite! Result! It’s also incredibly large and substantial so it’s probably worth noting that I needed to use a drill and rawplugs to hang it up – well worth the extra holes however and to be fair, the whole room needs patching anyway! It’s such a statement though and really, an artwork in itself.
My dining room gallery wall featuring a new addition from Skull Bliss.
Once I hung the skull above the television in here, I knew I’d found my perfect piece. It’s attention grabbing (hopefully taking away the attention of the TV in here) and I love the symmetry it brings to this wall.
After that, I decided to do something I’d been considering for ages – I swapped the gold starburst mirror that was hanging above the mantle with the white one that hung in the living room. I couldn’t believe how much the white mirror really POPPED against the deep blue walls in here.
Take a look at the little updates I've been making in my dining room including adding a white starburst mirror above the mantle piece
And as you can see, my peony bush FINALLY erupted into a million frothy pink blossoms and so of course, every vessel in my house is filled with them. I’m enjoying it while it lasts – they fade far to quickly for my liking!
Updating my dining room with some gorgeous peonies.
Refreshing my dining room by adding a white starburst mirror above the mantle piece
I do really like the changes although I feel now that there is just that bit too much white in this room with the table, chairs, sideboard, mantle and mirror all in glowing white. I feel like the room needs a wood piece to ground it and I’m eager to find something to replace the white sideboard which I’ve now had for nearly 5 years (an eBay buy that I paid £50 for so I think I’ve got my money’s worth from it!). The top of the sideboard has a big crack running through it as well so it’s probably time to retire it!
I've been making some updates to my dining room including adding a beautiful carved skull from Skull Bliss
Here’s another shot of that mirror!
Take a look at some of the little updates I've been making to my dining room
And of course, as I said in this post, I would actually like to move the TV to another wall altogether. However, that gorgeously carved skull will definitely stay in this room no matter what as I adore it!
I added a beautifully-carved skull from Skull Bliss to my dining room gallery wall.
Skullbliss carry a large range of various skulls of all different sizes. The best part is that they ship WORLDWIDE and not only that, they take care of all the import and export documentation for you alongside adhering to international taxidermy laws – so you are sure to get your unique skull with no issues.

So even though the changes in here are small, I’m quite happy with how the space is progressing! I’m sure there will be plenty more to come but in the meantime, what do you think of my new additions?

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Disclaimer: I received my skull free in exchange for this review but as always, all opinions, words and images are my very own. I only partner with companies I really like and think you will too! Thanks for supporting the businesses that support Swoon Worthy.


17 Comments

  1. Carole on July 1, 2015 at 12:18 pm

    Oh, oh, ooooohhhh!!! LOVE the skull!!! And I like the story and ethics behind it. It works so well in your dining room and the white mirror definitely fits the scheme better than the gold one now. Gorgeous! xo

  2. cassie @ primitive & proper on July 1, 2015 at 12:19 pm

    oh i LOVE it! i have a steer head on my porch hanging by my entry. it has very faded tribal paint on it and it is vintage, so who knows how long that paint has been there but i love it!

  3. Ashram on July 1, 2015 at 12:30 pm

    i just have to know where you got the seaside print from, it’s sooooo sweet?! X

    • Kimberly Duran on July 10, 2015 at 7:29 am

      Hi Ashram, sorry for my late reply! I purchased it a few years ago framed from Art.co.uk! It was a couple of years ago now and I’m not sure they still have it (I have tried to find it but there are so many prints on there that I failed to find this particular one)! Hope that helps anyway :) xxx

  4. Kristin @ bliss-athome.com on July 1, 2015 at 1:20 pm

    Your dining is looking amazing! That carved skull reminds me of the Mexican sugar skull tatoos…so cool! I love that overall shot where I can see your fp and whole table too. You make the most awesome spaces my friend! xo

  5. Anna International on July 1, 2015 at 1:54 pm

    I absolutely adore it! So beautiful, such a statement, and I love the fact that it is making something lasting and beautiful of the earthly remains of the cow. A lovely idea.
    If you ever intend to eBay the sideboard let me know – been looking for something similar for my dining room! :-)

  6. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life on July 1, 2015 at 2:38 pm

    I love it and I love the white mirror too. This room is looking amazing.

  7. Rebecca on July 1, 2015 at 3:37 pm

    Absolutely love this skull Kimberly, it looks fab in your room!

  8. Sharon on July 1, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    Totally love the carved ornate skull, really makes a statement, and personally I would have one if I had space on my walls and if it suited the space. Great piece!

  9. Shavonda on July 1, 2015 at 4:53 pm

    LOVE it friend. And seriously I cant get enough of your gorgeous blue walls and that amazing chandy. This room is just fabulous.

  10. Alina on July 1, 2015 at 5:03 pm

    That’s fantastic, love how it’s real skull but no animals were harmed making it either. Fab room! x

  11. Yelda | Decor Envy on July 1, 2015 at 8:27 pm

    This looks great doll! I love the white mirror against the navy wall, as I mentioned on Instagram. And the ornate carved skull is badass.

  12. Jillian on July 2, 2015 at 1:08 am

    I’m dying! Everything looks gorge!

  13. Jamala on July 2, 2015 at 5:01 am

    Excellent, excellent, excellent!!You picked a winner with that one. I see why it stays.. Love the entire room

  14. pauline winch on July 2, 2015 at 10:49 am

    The skull is beautifully crafted, i don’t know if i could have one, but i do like the idea that nothing is wasted. I like the silver headed ones you can get. The mirror looks stunning against the blue, i really do like that. Xxx

  15. Anna on July 2, 2015 at 6:19 pm

    I’m pescetarian, but I must admit that your skull looks amazing!

  16. Alex - The Interior DIYer on July 14, 2015 at 11:09 am

    THAT SKULL! It’s so incredible, and I love that you are passionate about the ethics behind it. I make a point on not buying anything that may be contributing to culling of poor, vulnerable creatures. Framed butterflies, skulls, coral, insects suspended in acrylic, even feathers. I don’t like the idea of buying any of them in high street stores. Just no. I can’t justify it. However, there are some circumstances that I am okay with. For example, Skullbliss. It’s totally different ethically and they have a respectful system in place. I applaud them. Until I find a similar company here in Ireland, for me, if I find any of the above list in a charity shop – as far as I’m concerned, it’s fair game as it’s not contributing to a demand. Does that make sense? I hope it does. And damn, girl. That skull + the white starburst mirror. Yes.

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