Most corner fireplaces are small in the brochure and large in the room. The Nook is 20 inches wide at the front and 11 inches deep at the widest point, which is small enough for a hallway, a box room or the corner of a bedroom that already has a wardrobe in it.
Nothing about it is a toy, though. The firebox is the same sealed unit we fit to the full-size models, and it delivers the same 5,200 BTU.
Small Corner Electric Fireplace at a Glance
- 20 and 24-inch fronts for tight spaces
- Only 11 inches deep at the widest point
- 5,200 BTU with thermostat, quiet at low heat
- Flame-only mode for summer evenings
- Remote control and 1–9 hour timer
- Fits under a window return or beside a door
Who it suits: hallways, box rooms, loft conversions, shepherd’s huts and bedrooms where a full-size fireplace would dominate.
Small does not have to mean compromised
A small corner electric fireplace has one job above all others: to look like it belongs. That comes down to proportion. The glass is 20 inches wide on the smallest model, and the surround scales with it rather than staying chunky and dwarfing the fire.
The second job is heat. A box room needs less than a living room, but it still needs something, and 5,200 BTU is more than enough for 200 to 300 square feet. The thermostat lets you use a fraction of it.
The third is noise. A small room amplifies a fan, so the Nook runs a cross-flow blower and stays quiet at the low setting.
Heating performance and room coverage
The element runs at 1,500W and gives 5,200 BTU, and it cycles on a thermostat rather than sitting at a fixed output. That is what keeps an evening affordable.
In practice a small corner electric fireplace 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. A corner placement spreads that heat along two walls instead of one, which feels warmer than the number suggests.
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 small corner electric fireplace 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-CORNER-NOOK |
| Type | Compact corner firebox |
| Front width | 20 or 24 inch |
| Depth | 11 inch at widest point |
| Heat output | 5,200 BTU / 1,500W |
| Fan | Cross-flow, low-noise |
| Controls | Remote, panel, 1–9h timer |
| Cord | 72-inch, standard 120V plug |
| Clearance | 20cm above, 5cm each side |
| Weight | 14kg |
| Price | From $329 |
| 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 both returns of the corner, from the corner out to the nearest door, window or radiator. The shorter of the two decides which size you can fit, and it is the measurement people forget.
Leave 25cm above the unit and 5cm to each side wall. In front, keep 90cm clear, because a corner gathers furniture and a sofa pushed against the glass will trap warm air and trip the cut-off.
Think about the socket before you commit. A small corner electric fireplace 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 doorway.
Finally, look at what the fire will reflect. Glass on a wall facing a television shows the screen, which is distracting. A corner beside 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 small corner electric fireplace in 20 inch, 24 inch. All options share the same body height, so the decision is about width rather than height.
Start from the wall returns. If both are under 40 inches, choose a smaller body; a wide unit in a short corner 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 corner 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 small corner electric fireplace 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 corner itself. Corners are rarely square, and a unit forced into one will show a gap on one wall 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.
Making a small fire look bigger
A small corner electric fireplace reads larger when the wall behind it is a single colour. Patterned wallpaper shrinks the fire and makes the surround look like a box sitting in front of it.
Keep the floor in front clear. A rug pushed right up to the glass visually clips the base of the flames.
Where it fits in a hallway
A hallway fireplace needs to be shallow and ideally wall-hugging. The Nook’s cord exits on the right, so if your socket is on the left, run the cord behind the base rather than across the doorway.
At 20 inches wide it fits between a door frame and a corner with about 4 inches to spare.
How it compares to the rest of the range
If the corner also has to hold a television, look at the corner electric fireplace TV stand. If the floor has to stay free, the corner wall mounted electric fireplace hangs instead of standing.
For a smaller room, the small corner electric fireplace does the same job in 24 inches.
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 corner better.
Compare the full corner range on the corner electric fireplaces page, or read our sizing guide before you commit.
Common questions
Is 20 inches too small to look like a real fire?
No, in a small room it reads correctly. Proportion matters more than absolute size.
Can it heat a box room?
Easily. It holds 200 to 300 square feet with the thermostat cycling.
Does it need to be fixed to the wall?
No, it stands on adjustable feet. We include an anti-tip strap if you want one.
Can I put it in a hallway with no socket nearby?
You need a standard outlet within 72 inches. An extension lead rated for 13A is acceptable but not ideal.
Is the flame adjustable?
Five brightness steps, with a separately dimmable ember bed.
What sizes does it come in?
We stock it in 20 inch, 24 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 small corner electric fireplace 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 Nook Small Corner Electric Fireplace today. It ships in 2 to 5 business days with tracking, and orders over $1,000 ship free.
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