There’s no better add-on for you than an electric fireplace if you’re looking to create a warm, welcoming space in your home. Safe, eco-friendly, and easy to use, electric fireplaces offer all of the warmth and coziness of a traditional wood-burning fireplace without the high maintenance needs. However, freestanding vs wall mounted electric fireplaces offer very different experiences. Keep reading this guide to find out which is right for you.
What is a freestanding electric fireplace?
Let’s start with the freestanding electric fireplace. These portable, versatile fireplaces are one of the best electric fireplaces for living rooms and dens. As the name suggests, these are freestanding appliances. They feel more traditional than their built-in counterparts. They’re also a great way to create a more vintage vibe in a room.
I like to look at freestanding electric fireplaces as the “accent chair” of fireplaces. They’re accent pieces, easy to reposition and move around. They’re functional, but beyond that, they’re designed to draw the eye. Freestanding fireplaces emphasize the vibe of a fireplace while still creating the same heat and warmth as other electric options.
If you’re comparing freestanding electric fireplaces, one thing to note is that they come in different style options.
Mantle-style electric fireplace
Mantle-style electric fireplaces are a great option for adding a classic look without any construction or installation. Though they look like they’re built-in, you can move them to different walls and areas as your layout requires. These plug-and-play designs are warm and welcoming. They add a great surface for setting up a tableau of home decor, too.
Stove-style electric fireplace
Giving off cabin vibes, a stove-style fireplace mimics the cast iron warming stoves of a heritage home. They’re great way to create a fun, vintage aesthetic without the safety hazards. These electric fireplaces are easier to use than wood burning stoves. They’re also cooler to the touch and more convenient to reposition, but they’re just as cute and cozy.
What is a wall-mounted electric fireplace?
Wall-mounted electric fireplaces are another popular choice in fireplace design. These are great for homeowners and long-term tenants with landlord approval, as they’re a permanent or semi-permanent installation on your walls themselves.
These fireplace designs can be flush-mounted on wall brackets (similarly to how a TV would be hung) or may be installed into a purpose-made recess built into the wall itself. They take up little to no floorspace and they offer a minimalist look than freestanding electric fireplaces.
They frequently come with multicolour LED functionality that typically lights up in colours like blue, purple, and pink along with your more traditional reds and yellows.
What’s the difference between flush-mount and recessed wall-mounted electric fireplaces?
There are two main types of wall-mounted electric fireplaces: Flush-mount and recessed. Both designs offer a sleek, minimalist aesthetic, and both plug into a wall socket for power. However, their installation and result can look quite different.
A flush-mount fireplace is one whose back lies flush against a wall. They’re installed on a bracket on your drywall. They typically need to be drilled into at least one wall stud and one drywall anchor. The depth of a flush-mount fireplace will be the approximate profile of your flush-mount fireplace against your wall; so, if your fireplace is five inches deep, it’ll jut out from your wall by about five inches. In many rentals, the bracket needed for a flush-mount fireplace must first be approved with your landlord before installation.
On the other hand, a recessed fireplace is one whose front sits at about the same depth as your wall. The rest of the fireplace is, as you might have guessed, recessed into the wall. Recessed fireplaces are more labour-intensive to install, as an opening of the same size will need to be cut out of your wall, set in, powered with an interior outlet, and refinished. The front glass of a recessed fireplace is the only part of it that’ll stick out from the wall, so if your fireplace is five inches deep, it may just out of your wall by only quarter inch. Recessed fireplaces are built in and are rarely seen in rental units as they require significant changes to the home’s structure. They’re a great option for homeowners and give your home an intentional, custom-built look.
Freestanding vs wall mounted fireplaces: Key differences
While both variations of the electric fireplace are cozy and welcoming, they can differ a lot in their traits.
Different installation and setup
For a freestanding fireplace, all you need to do is plug in your fireplace and it’s ready to go. You can easily move it around and re-organize your layout as you’d like. But, for a wall-mounted fireplace, you’ll need to level, hang, and install your fireplace before use. For a recessed fireplace, you’ll also have to cut out your drywall or find a ready-built, powered drywall recess of the right size to install into.
Design, aesthetics, and heating capacity
While electric fireplaces aren’t intended to be used as your home’s primary heating method, the “throw” of their warmth still matters to most users. You’ll typically find that freestanding electric fireplaces have less throw, heating areas of 100-300 sq. ft. That makes them great for small offices, dens, and dorm rooms. Wall-hanging fireplaces, on the other hand, are typically more powerful. They’ll usually heat areas of around 500 sq. ft., which makes them great for living rooms, basements, and open floor plans.
There are pros and cons for both wall mount and freestanding fireplaces, but a big part of what makes them different is just their design and aesthetics—their overall vibe. The more modern wall mounted fireplace looks and feels quite different from the cosier, clunkier freestanding fireplace. Luckily, while wall mounted fireplaces are generally the pricier version of this product, there’s quite a bit of overlap in fireplace pricing—so you’ll have similarly-priced options no matter which format works best for your lifestyle.
Safety considerations for buying an electric fireplace
One final aspect to consider when choosing an electric fireplace that suits your lifestyle is safety. Electric fireplaces are safer and easier to use than wood-burning fireplaces. For that reason, they’re often preferred by families with kids or pets. Electric models require no wood stores for fuel, don’t emit embers or smoke, and are cooler to the touch than wood-burning fireplaces.
In homes with mobility concerns (for instance seniors, persons with disabilities, and infants), recessed wall-mounted electric fireplaces are the safest option for a fireplace. They’re a great choice with no jut-outs and no tripping hazards. They don’t just look great; they’ll age with you and your home, too.
Which one fits your lifestyle?
When you’re looking at freestanding vs wall mounted electric fireplaces, there are a ton of different considerations to help you determine which is best for your lifestyle. This post covers most of those considerations, and hopefully it’s helped you sort out which style is best for your home.
Wall-mounted electric fireplaces are a great way to save space in a small room or apartment, but freestanding models are easier to install and move around. Both create an interesting, welcoming focal point in a room—but those focal points will have very different overall aesthetics. In general, homes with sleek, modern designs and fun, colourful lighting options will likely want to opt for wall-mounted flush mount or recessed electric fireplaces, while homes with a more traditional, cabin-like aesthetic will want to opt for freestanding designs.
Shop electric fireplaces online at Best Buy Canada today.
