Funny Mantel Decor: Framed Art for Above the Fireplace
A mantelpiece is the most-looked-at surface in a living room, so funny mantel decor has to survive daily viewing by people who didn't choose it. These framed Pegacow prints are the restrained end of the collection — real illustration in muted palettes, with the joke held back a beat. $79 at 11" × 14" and $109 at 16" × 20", free U.S. shipping, framed in solid wood and ready to hang.
- 11" × 14"
- $79
- 16" × 20"
- $109
- Frame
- White, Walnut or Black
- Delivery
- Free U.S. · 5–12 business days
The mistake with mantel art is picking the loudest thing you own. Above a fireplace, a print is competing with the fire, the TV and everyone's eyeline at once — it needs to hold the wall without dominating it. Six of these seven are genuinely tasteful. One is not, deliberately.
1. Boho Sun Framed Print
Earth tones, a soft sun and a pot of greenery — the pegacow that reads poetry. It sits beside a fireplace like it was commissioned for the spot.
$79.00See this print
2. Paper Cut (Cream) Framed Print
Layered papercraft with real depth and shadow on warm cream. Quietly fancy — this is the one guests assume cost more than it did.
$79.00See this print
3. Watercolor Stance Framed Print
Loose washes, wings up, tail in full spectrum. Gallery calm with one streak of colour to keep the mantel from going beige.
$79.00See this print
4. Dream Big. Spread Magic. Framed Print
Dusty teal, mid-century travel-poster structure. Strong enough shapes to anchor a wide mantel from across the room.
$79.00See this print
5. Retro Farm Flight Framed Print
Blue skies, a red barn, a rainbow to land on. Warm without being twee — the most family-room-friendly print in the collection.
$79.00See this print
6. Flat & Fabulous Framed Print
Clean geometric shapes on warm cream. The safe structural choice if the rest of the room is already busy.
$79.00See this print
7. I Came. I Mooed. I Judged. Framed Print
The one joke, placed exactly where guests will eventually find it. Everything else on this list is decor; this is the payoff.
$79.00See this print
Questions people ask
What size art goes above a fireplace?＋
As a rule the piece should span roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of the mantel's width. For a standard 48-inch mantel a single 16" × 20" print ($109) works, or two 11" × 14" prints ($79 each) hung side by side.
Is it safe to hang a print above a working fireplace?＋
Heat and soot are the concern with any framed art. Keep it well above the mantel shelf, don't hang it directly over an open flame, and if the wall gets noticeably warm during a fire, choose a spot elsewhere in the room.
Which frame colour suits a mantel?＋
Walnut for a wood mantel or a warm room, black to sharpen against white or painted brick, white if the wall is already dark. All three are solid wood and chosen at checkout.