Most fireplaces give you a mantel or shelves, rarely both. The Cornice has a moulded mantel at 48 inches for display, open shelving beneath the returns, and the firebox in the centre.
Electric Fireplace With Mantel And Shelves at a Glance
- 9-inch display mantel at 48 inches
- Four shelves per side beneath the returns
- Set-back firebox with a shadow reveal
- 5,200 BTU heater with thermostat and remote
- Satin white or painted grey finish
- One unit instead of three
Who it suits: a sitting room that needs display space, storage and a fire, and does not have the wall for three separate pieces.
Three jobs, one footprint
The mantel is the display surface: 9 inches deep, at eye level when you are standing, and wide enough for a mirror plus two candlesticks. It is the thing visitors look at first.
The shelves are the working storage: four per side, 12 inches deep, below the mantel where they are reachable from a chair.
Between them sits the firebox, set back so the mantel casts a slight shadow over the glass. That shadow is what makes a fireplace look built rather than assembled.
Heating performance and room coverage
The element is a 1,500W fan-forced unit rated at 5,200 BTU. That is the practical ceiling on a standard 120V circuit, and any corner unit claiming more from a normal plug is inventing a number.
In practice a electric fireplace with mantel and shelves holds 400 to 600 square feet comfortably, and helps in a room up to about 1,000 square feet when the doors are shut and the walls are insulated. Placement matters less than most buyers expect, provided the outlet is not blocked, and the thermostat does the rest of the work.
The flame runs independently of the heater. Turn the heat off and the fire becomes lighting, which is how most people use it for eight months of the year.
The most common mistake with a electric fireplace with mantel and shelves is buying it for the whole floor plan rather than the room you sit in. Match the unit to the room and the thermostat will cycle calmly instead of running flat out all evening.
Specifications and delivery
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | EP-MANTEL-CORNICE |
| Type | Mantel and shelving surround with firebox |
| Mantel depth | 9 inch, at 48 inch height |
| Shelves | 4 per side, 12 inch deep |
| Heat output | 5,200 BTU / 1,500W |
| Finish | Satin white or grey |
| Controls | Remote, panel, thermostat, 1–9h timer |
| Cord | 72-inch, standard 120V plug |
| Clearance | 25cm above the mantel |
| Sizes | 56 and 64 inch front width |
| Price | From $1049 |
| Delivery | 2–5 business days, flat $50 under $1,000, free over $1,000 |
We check the flame, thermostat, cord and plug before dispatch, then ship it tracked.
Placement and clearances
Measure the wall you intend to use, then subtract 20cm so the unit does not crowd a door frame or a radiator. That figure decides which width you can fit.
Leave 25cm above the unit and 90cm clear in front. A sofa pushed against the glass traps warm air and trips the cut-off within twenty minutes.
Think about the socket before you commit. A electric fireplace with mantel and shelves needs a standard outlet within 72 inches, and the cord exits on the right of the body. If the nearest socket is on the wrong side, plan a lead or move the socket rather than stretching a cable across a walkway.
Finally, look at what the fire will reflect. Glass facing a television shows the screen, which is distracting. A wall facing a window reflects daylight in the afternoon, which most people like.
Running costs
Full heat draws 1.5 kWh an hour. At the US average of about 15 cents per kWh, that is roughly 22 to 23 cents an hour.
On the thermostat, a typical evening lands nearer 15 to 17 cents, because the element cycles rather than running continuously. Flame-only mode draws a few watts and costs pennies.
Compare that with a gas fire, which costs more per hour to run in most US markets once standing charges are counted, or with solid fuel, which costs more again and takes an evening to light properly.
The Department of Energy explains how resistance heating is priced per kilowatt hour. Ten minutes there will save you guessing at running costs.
Installation without a trade
There is no flue, no gas and no vent, so a standard install needs no qualified fitter and no inspection afterwards.
- Measure both corner returns and check the unit clears every skirting board and window return before you unpack it.
- Move it into position with two people. Corner units are awkward rather than heavy, and one person will inevitably twist the frame trying to lift it alone.
- Level the feet against both walls. A corner out of square is normal; adjustable feet take up 12mm, which covers almost every room.
- Route the cord to the nearest outlet, keeping it behind the base rather than across the floor where it collects dust and gets kicked.
- Run the flame for ten minutes, then heat on low for five, then full output. If anything rattles at full heat, stop and call us.
The whole job takes about thirty minutes. If you are wall-mounting rather than placing a freestanding unit, add twenty minutes for the brackets.
Choosing the right size
We stock this electric fireplace with mantel and shelves in 56 inch, 64 inch. All options share the same body height, so the decision is about width rather than height.
Start from the wall. If the usable span is under 45 inches, choose a smaller body; a wide unit in a short wall crowds the doorway and looks wedged in rather than fitted.
Then look at the room. A 400 square foot room suits any size, while a 600 square foot open-plan space benefits from the wider option, because heat leaves a wider outlet and the flame fills more of the corner.
If you are between sizes, go up. Buyers who regret a corner fireplace almost always regret buying small.
Care and safety
Wipe the glass with a non-ammonia cleaner and a microfibre cloth, only when the unit is cool. Hot glass and cold cleaner is how crazing starts, and no polish fixes it afterwards.
Dust the surround monthly. A painted surround shows dust less than black glass, but it shows fingerprints more, so keep a dry cloth nearby.
Vacuum the intake grille every few weeks and keep fabric away from it. The overheat cut-off will protect the unit, but it cannot protect your evening.
Check the plug and cord once a year for warmth or discolouration. A media unit is often plugged in behind furniture, where a loose plug goes unnoticed for a decade.
What ownership looks like in year three
No fuel to buy, no ash to carry, no flue to sweep. The running cost is electricity and the maintenance is dust and glass.
The LED flame is rated for tens of thousands of hours, which is years of daily evening use. If an element fails inside the 12 month warranty we replace the unit rather than posting you a part and a diagram.
Returns run 30 days on unopened units, so if the corner turns out to be the wrong corner, you have time. Keep the carton for a week after delivery and photograph the glass before you recycle the packaging.
Three mistakes to avoid
Buying for the whole floor plan. A electric fireplace with mantel and shelves heats 400 to 600 square feet in practice. Buy it for a bigger space and you will spend the winter disappointed by arithmetic rather than by the product.
Sharing the circuit. At full heat these draw 12.5 amps. A kettle or a second heater on the same circuit will trip the breaker, and the fireplace will get the blame.
Ignoring the wall itself. Old walls are rarely plumb, and a unit forced against one will show a gap along its whole length for as long as you own it. Adjust the feet, pack the gap, and check with a spirit level before you throw the packaging away.
A mantel that stays tidy
A display mantel fills up. The rule that works: one large object in the middle, two small at the ends, nothing else. A mirror, two candlesticks, done.
Keep the shelf under 8kg and avoid anything that needs a cable, because there is no socket up there.
Shelves at sitting height
The reason most built-in shelving fails is height. Shelves above eye level never get used for books and shelves at ankle level collect dust. Here they sit between 12 and 40 inches, which is the band where a person in a chair can actually reach.
Put the things you use weekly at the top of that band and the archive at the bottom.
One unit, three jobs
Bought separately, a mantel, two bookcases and a fire would cost more and leave two gaps to dust between. An electric fireplace with mantel and shelves removes both problems in a single span.
It is also the version that looks most like it was built into the room, which is the effect most people are actually paying for.
Why one unit beats three purchases
Bought separately, a mantel surround, two bookcases and a fire cost more and leave two dust traps between them. An electric fireplace with mantel and shelves arrives as one carcass with one footprint.
There is a visual argument too. This electric fireplace with mantel and shelves carries the mantel line across its full width, so the eye reads one piece of furniture rather than three objects pushed together, which is how built-in joinery looks and why people pay a carpenter for it.
If your wall is under 60 inches, the 56-inch version keeps the proportions without crowding the doorway, and still gives four shelves a side for books.
Measure the wall, then the mantel
A 64-inch electric fireplace with mantel and shelves needs 70 inches of clear wall. Below that, drop a size rather than squeezing it in, because an electric fireplace with mantel and shelves that touches a door frame on one side and a radiator on the other never looks settled.
Delivery, returns and the two things people ask about
Everything ships from our own yard, tracked, in 2 to 5 business days. Shipping is a flat $50 under $1,000 and free over $1,000, with a $150 minimum order. We will not promise a delivery window we cannot hold, and if a carrier loses a unit we replace it rather than sending you to a claims form.
Returns run 30 days on unopened units. Keep the carton for a week after delivery, because a transit scuff is far easier to resolve while the packaging still exists. Photograph the glass in daylight before you recycle anything.
Two questions come up on almost every order. The first is whether the heater can run without the flame, and it cannot: the flame is the light source for the fire and it stays on whenever heat is on. The second is whether the flame can run without the heater, and it can, all year, which is how most owners use these units from spring onwards.
How it compares to the rest of the range
If you only need display, the electric fireplace with mantel is smaller. If you only need books, the electric fireplace with bookshelves gives you tall shelving instead.
The Ember Peak standard
Every fire we ship is bench-tested before it leaves the yard. We inspect the flame with the heater off, check the thermostat, and test the cord and plug, because a fireplace that arrives with a rattle is one you resent for years.
Delivery arrives tracked within 2 to 5 business days. Shipping is a flat $50 under $1,000 and free over $1,000, with a $150 minimum order. Anything unclear before or after the sale reaches a human on the contact page, and we will tell you when a different model suits your room better.
Compare the full range on the mantel and TV stand fireplaces page, or read our sizing guide before you commit.
Common questions
Can the mantel take a mirror?
Yes, up to 8kg, which covers most mirrors under 36 inches.
How many shelves?
Four per side, 12 inches deep.
Is it available in grey?
Yes, grey as well as satin white.
Does it need fixing to the wall?
The anti-tip strap should be fitted and is included.
What height is the mantel?
48 inches from the floor.
What sizes does it come in?
We stock it in 56 inch, 64 inch. All sizes share the same body height, so choosing one is a decision about width.
Does it include a remote and timer?
Yes. The box includes a remote, an adjustable thermostat, a 1–9 hour timer and the fixings.
If you are replacing an open fire or a gas fire that no longer works, this electric fireplace with mantel and shelves is the least disruptive route back to a working hearth. Nothing structural changes, nothing needs sweeping, and the whole job takes under an hour.
Every unit ships from our own yard rather than a third-party warehouse, which is why we can tell you honestly what fits your corner and what does not. We would rather talk you out of the wrong size than sell you one and post you a returns label.
Order the Cornice Electric Fireplace with Mantel and Shelves today. It ships in 2 to 5 business days with tracking, and orders over $1,000 ship free.
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