Do you have a large blank wall – and you’re not sure what to do with it? Or do you have a small living room that’s just… blah?

A wall-mounted or a recessed electric fireplace can really add style and sophistication to a room (and did I mention heat?). They make it easy to relax and wind down in the evenings, plus they provide an impressive focal point when entertaining guests.

The cool thing is that you don’t have to have an existing hearth or chimney to install one of thee units. You don’t have to cut a hole in your wall either (for wall mounted versions).

Plug them in and enjoy beautiful flickering flames for about 2 cents/hour (thank you LED lights) or turn on the heat and warm up a 400 square foot room.

Pros and Cons:

Flush mounted (or recessed) offer a more finished, professional look, but of course require more time, work and cost to install. They can also be more expensive themselves. Wall mounted versions typically are cheaper but appear more “temporary” and not as realistic because they stick out from the wall.

Whether you choose a wall mount electric fireplace or the recessed version, both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Flush-mount fireplaces can provide the custom, built-in look that many homeowners want – without the time, work and cost that you normally would expect. They really don’t take up any additional space in a room, yet they both add style and functionality at the same time.

Many models, like fireplaces shown on the websites, have a variety of heat settings, including heat for a room up to 400 square feet. You can control the flame and heat conveniently with a remote control (and you thought that not having to clean up ashes was nice!).