In this guide
- What Is a Media Wall With a Fireplace?
- Which Type of Fire Works Best in a Media Wall?
- What Size Fire Suits Your Media Wall?
- How High Does the TV Sit Above the Fire?
- Is It Safe to Put a TV Above an Electric Fire?
- Do You Need an Electrician for a Media Wall Fire?
- How Much Does a Media Wall With Fireplace Cost?
- Our Warrington Media Wall With Fireplace
- How We Design and Fit a Media Wall Fireplace
- Media Wall Fireplace vs a Traditional Fireplace
- Media Wall Fireplace Questions
- Planning Your Media Wall With a Fireplace
A media wall with a fireplace is a built-in wall unit that houses your TV above an inset electric fire, with the cables, sockets and equipment hidden inside the structure. This guide covers the 3 fire types, the fire sizes that suit each wall, how high the TV sits above the flame, the safety and electrical rules in the UK, what shapes the price and a real media wall we fitted in Warrington.
What Is a Media Wall With a Fireplace?
A media wall with a fireplace is a framed structure built out 150mm to 300mm from the original wall, with a recess for the TV and a separate opening below it for an inset fire. Examples include a full-width wall with lit niches, a chimney breast media wall and a floating panel with a slim fire.
The fire gives the room a focal point and warmth, while the TV sits flush in its own recess. Our guide to what a media wall is explains the structure itself. This guide focuses on the fire.
Inset electric fire
Plugs into a socket, needs no flue and has a flame effect that runs with or without heat.
Gas fire
Needs a flue to the outside, a Gas Safe registered engineer and non-combustible construction around it.
Bioethanol fire
Burns a liquid fuel with a real flame, so it needs ventilation and generous clearances inside a timber structure.
Which Type of Fire Works Best in a Media Wall?
An inset electric fire works best in most media walls, because it needs no flue, no chimney and no gas supply, and it fits a standard media wall depth. The table compares the 3 fire types on the points that decide a media wall design.
| Feature | Electric | Gas | Bioethanol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flue or chimney | Not needed | Needed | Not needed |
| Installer | Fitter, with an electrician for new sockets | Gas Safe registered engineer | Fitter, following the maker’s instructions |
| Real flame | No, LED flame effect | Yes | Yes |
| Flame without heat | Yes | No | No |
| Suits a timber frame | Yes, with the stated clearances | Only with non-combustible lining | Rarely |
Almost every media wall we build uses an electric fire. A gas fire is possible where a flue route exists, but it changes the build materials and adds a second trade to the project.
What Size Fire Suits Your Media Wall?
A fire that is about as wide as the TV, or slightly wider, looks balanced on most media walls. Media wall fires are sold by width in inches. Common sizes include:
- 50 inch: about 127cm wide, for walls under 2.4m.
- 60 inch: about 152cm wide, the most popular size.
- 70 inch: about 178cm wide, for long living rooms.
- 80 inch and above: 203cm or more, for full-width walls.
A typical 60 inch media wall fire is around 41cm tall and 15cm deep, which fits inside a standard media wall frame.
How High Does the TV Sit Above the Fire?
The TV sits above the gap the fire manufacturer specifies, which is usually around 300mm between the top of the fire and the bottom of the screen. That gap protects the TV from the warm air rising off the heater.
The worked example below uses a 60 inch fire and a 65 inch TV, with the fire raised 200mm off the floor.
A 65 inch TV is roughly 810mm tall, so its centre lands at about 1,315mm from the floor. That is higher than the 1,000mm to 1,100mm seated eye level in our media wall ideas guide, so we set the fire as low as its instructions allow and check the seating distance before the frame goes up.
Is It Safe to Put a TV Above an Electric Fire?
Yes, a TV above an inset electric fire is safe when the fire is installed to its manufacturer’s instructions and the TV stays within its own operating temperature. The direction of the heat outlet is the first thing to check.
Front or bottom outlet
Pushes warm air into the room below the screen, which suits a TV mounted directly above.
Top outlet
Sends warm air upwards, so the gap to the TV and any shelf above needs to follow the stated figure exactly.
Ventilation
Air vents on the fire stay clear, and the cavity behind it is sized to the maker’s opening dimensions.
Flame-only mode
The LED flame effect runs with the heater off, so the fire can be used for the look alone in warmer months.
Every fire we fit is built into an opening sized to its exact model. That is why the fire is chosen at the design stage, not after the wall is built.
Do You Need an Electrician for a Media Wall Fire?
A media wall fire needs a socket or fused spur inside the structure, and new sockets are fitted by a qualified electrician at the first fix stage. Under Part P of the Building Regulations in England, the rules split into 2 groups:
- Usually notifiable: a new circuit from the consumer unit or a consumer unit replacement. These are carried out by a registered electrician who self-certifies the work, or notified to building control.
- Usually not notifiable: adding a socket or fused spur to an existing circuit in a living room. The work still has to meet the wiring regulations, BS 7671.
We plan sockets for the fire, the TV, the soundbar and any lighting together, so every lead is hidden. The lighting and fittings we add are on our furniture extras page.
How Much Does a Media Wall With Fireplace Cost?
Every media wall we build is bespoke, so the price depends on the width of the wall, the fire you choose, the storage, the lighting and the finish. The table shows what moves the price, with rough guideline figures set on the generous side.
| Item | Rough guide only | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Simple media wall with an inset fire | £3,500 to £6,000 | Width, depth, cupboards and finish |
| Full-width wall with lit niches and a large fire | £6,000+ | Niches, lighting, panelling and fire size |
| Inset electric fire on its own | £500 to £2,500 | Width, flame quality and heat output |
| Electrical work | Quoted per job | Number of sockets and whether a new circuit is needed |
| Running the heater | About 53p an hour at 2kW | Heat setting and how long it runs |
| Running the flame only | Under 3p an hour | LED flame effects typically draw under 100 watts |
Price figures are rough guidelines only, not quotes, and many projects come in below them. Running costs use the Ofgem price cap unit rate for electricity of 26.32p per kWh from 1 October to 31 December 2026. We give a fixed written quote after the design visit, so the price is agreed before work starts.
Our Warrington Media Wall With Fireplace
This media wall in a Warrington home combines a recessed TV, an inset electric fire and storage across the full width of the room. We designed and fitted every part of it.
- A framed central recess for the TV
- An inset electric fire with a flame effect
- Spotlights built into the top bulkhead
- Open shelving on both sides
- Handleless base cupboards along the full length
- Tall cupboards at each end
More finished walls are in our project gallery, and our fitted furniture in Warrington page covers the rest of our local work.
How We Design and Fit a Media Wall Fireplace
We design and fit a media wall fireplace in 5 stages, with the fire chosen before the frame is drawn.
- Survey: we measure the wall, list the TV and equipment, and check where the sockets sit.
- Choose the fire: the model is fixed first, because its opening, clearances and heat outlet set the rest of the design.
- 3D design: you see the wall in your room, with the TV and fire at their finished heights.
- Frame and first fix: the structure goes up and the electrician positions sockets and cables before boarding.
- Fit and finish: boarding, shelves, doors, lighting and the fire go in, followed by painting and a final test.
Media Wall Fireplace vs a Traditional Fireplace
A media wall fireplace is not a working chimney fireplace: it uses an electric fire in a timber frame, so there is no hearth, flue or chimney sweep involved. It is also different from a TV stand with a freestanding electric fire, because the fire and screen are built into the wall.
Homes with an unused chimney breast often get the best of both, because the breast already gives the depth a media wall needs. It sits alongside the rest of our living room furniture, so shelving and cupboards can match the finish. Where the alcoves either side also need storage, our guide to alcove cabinetry shows how to plan them together.
Media Wall Fireplace Questions
How much does a media wall with fireplace cost?
Every media wall is bespoke, so the price varies with the wall, the fire and the features. As a rough guideline only, a simple media wall with an inset fire is around £3,500 to £6,000. We confirm the exact price in a fixed written quote.
Are media walls still fashionable?
Yes. Media walls remain one of the most requested pieces of fitted furniture we design, and an inset fire is the most popular feature added to them.
How do you build a media wall with a fireplace?
A timber frame is fixed to the wall, cables and sockets are run at first fix, the frame is boarded and the fire is fitted into an opening sized to its instructions. The TV goes in last.
Can you put a media wall fire on a carpet?
Many inset fires state a firm, level, non-combustible base. We build a solid base inside the frame to suit the model, so the fire never sits directly on carpet.
How long does a media wall with fireplace take to fit?
Most are fitted within a few days on site once the design is signed off. Painting and decorating can add time, depending on the finish.
Planning Your Media Wall With a Fireplace
A media wall with a fireplace comes together when the fire is chosen first, the TV height follows the heat gap and the sockets are planned before the frame goes up. Start with the wall, the TV you own and where everyone sits.
See the media walls we design and fit, or book a free design visit. We measure the wall, bring finish samples and show you 3D designs before you commit to anything.
