There’s something comforting and relaxing about a burning fire and its gentle flickering flames, ambient lighting, and soothing crackle. All these features work together to take our minds off the busy lives we lead and allow us to forget about our stresses & worries. However, for many people, the disadvantages of a real wood burning fire outweigh these benefits; many people have allergies/ sensitivities, live in a building that does not have a fireplace, don’t want the hassle of messy wood and flues, or don’t have a fireplace in the rooms they use the most. Fortunately, there is an ideal solution in these situations: an Electric Fireplace Mantel. Available in various sizes and a range of styles and prices for any budget, many people have found that electric fireplace mantels are a perfect alternative to wood burning fireplaces, and bring all of the great benefits without any of the undesirable hassles.
For the majority of people looking at adding an electric fireplace mantel to their home, a standard mantel will fit your needs. These units are designed for placement against a flat wall and have the look of a traditional fireplace, giving the illusion of a real wood burning fireplace. Whether the unit is for the living room, family room, bedroom or office, you can easily add the ambiance of a fireplace to any room without demolition or extensive installation. Simply assemble and plug the unit in -- it’s that easy.
For those with restricted floor space, a corner electric fireplace helps maximize your floor plan. Utilizing lesser-filled spaces, a corner unit can be perfect in bedrooms as well as smaller family rooms such as apartments and condos. Often times models can be easily converted from a corner application to standard wall for added versatility.
The convenience of being able to move your smaller electric fireplace mantel from room to room is a feature many people living in trailers, lofts, apartments, condos, and ranch style homes will find beneficial. If you are looking to apply the concept of Zone Heating to your lifestyle, a rolling unit makes it easy to only heat the rooms you occupy rather than the entire home. For example, you can heat the family room while you watch your favorite television program and roll the fireplace to your bedroom when it’s time to go to bed. LEARN MORE ABOUT ZONE HEATING!
Combine two pieces of furniture into one and create the perfect addition to your room! If you are looking for a multi-functional piece of furniture, an electric fireplace media stand serves several purposes while creating an inviting setting. Sized to accommodate various flat screen TV’s with media storage and cable management, as well as a realistic firebox and integrated heater, this all-inclusive solution not only is great for your media room or family room, but also the bedroom.
What Type of Heater Should You Choose?
Depending on the size of the room, you’ll need to consider one of two types of heating options: Traditional Fan Forced or Infrared.
Fan-Forced Heater
Fan-forced heaters are designed to fill areas up to 400 Sq. Ft. with supplemental warmth. If your room is adequately insulated with traditional ceilings and minimal windows, you should feel plenty of warmth running your electric fireplace heater.
Infrared Heater
Infrared heaters are designed to warm larger areas – rooms up to 1,000 Sq. Ft. in size. They can keep smaller rooms toasty warm and take the chill off of larger rooms. Due to their higher heat output and efficiency, infrared heaters are better performers than fan-forced heaters in rooms with higher ceilings, more windows, and open layouts. LEARN MORE ABOUT INFRARED HEATERS!
What’s Your Style?
Traditional
If your personal aesthetic favors classic designs that follow conventional styling with a timeless appeal, a Traditional Electric Fireplace Mantel Package may be the best option for you. Mantels within this category tend to have subtle accents with moldings, inlays, and reliefs. Rich, warm stains also reflect this genre with oak, cherry, walnut, and mahogany finishes. Fireboxes featuring realistic log sets that glow from within with flickering flame effects help complete the illusion of a traditional wood burning fireplace.
Contemporary
Those who gravitate towards modern or minimalist design styles are likely to find Contemporary Electric Fireplace Mantel Packages most appealing. These mantels tend to feature simple, clean lines with an almost modular construction. Oftentimes you’ll see these pieces finished in high gloss paints of white, black, or espresso, as well as uniquely “man-made” or “artificial” finishes. Modern glass ember electric fireboxes heighten the contemporary appeal of these fireplaces. The flickering flames illuminate and reflect within the crystal ember bed for a stunning display. Frequently, color changing flame lighting accompanies these inserts. Though not always considered contemporary, log set fireboxes are often available with modern mantels, creating a perfect balance of old and new.
Electric fireplaces are a great way to add instant appeal to any room, but deciding on the perfect option to fit your specific needs can be a daunting task. If you’d like even more information, please watch the video below or view all of our electric fireplace videos »
