How to Build a DIY Electric Fireplace and TV Wall

Want to create a beautiful focal point in your living room? Here’s how we took a bare and empty wall and made a stunning DIY electric fireplace and TV wall in our Little Lake House rental.

A couple of years ago we renovated our first vacation rental – the Little Lake House! You can click right here to see the entire renovation from start to finish. Since then, we’ve been happy to host over 100 families in the cabin. One of their favourite features? The fireplace & TV in the living room! All our guests love the smart TV, and when it gets a little chilly there’s nothing better than the cozy fireplace.

In today’s blog post I’m sharing exactly how we built this DIY electric fireplace and TV wall from start to finish. Let’s get started!

Can you build an electric fireplace into a wall?

The answer to this question is yes and no. It is absolutely possible to build a DIY electric fireplace and TV wall in a space where none existed before, but you DO need to do some serious renovations to get there. It is much easier to build a false electric fireplace wall than it is to try and add a fireplace to your existing wall. Let me show you what I mean!

There was a gas stove in the corner, and the long wall was completely bare. We wanted to remove the gas fireplace to make the space more safe. And, we wanted to make the long wall into a focal point.

This meant completely gutting the living room. We actually took the entire cabin down to the studs, as it was all poorly insulated and had rodent damage in most of the walls! After removing the drywall, old carpet, ceiling tiles, and insulation, we had the living room professionally spray foam insulated.

I knew I wanted to create a cozy DIY fireplace wall in this room. I loved the idea of an electric fireplace built into a bump-out for added heat and a relaxed vibe in this space. After all, there’s nothing better than enjoying dancing flames (even if they’re faux!) on a cold day by the lake. There are so many realistic-looking electric insert fireplaces on the market today, and most have an optional heater built right in. Plus, I knew this would create the focal point I wanted too.

A project of this scope is a little outside my own DIY abilities, so I called in reinforcements. This project is brought to you by me and my husband Sean!

How we built our TV & fireplace wall feature

Supplies & tools needed:

• 2×4 lumber for framing
• 2×8 lumber for horizontal braces
• Electrical elements (wiring, outlet)
• Drywall
• Drywall screws
• MDF shiplap
• MDF crown molding & baseboard
• MDF outside corner trim & quarter round trim
• Electric fireplace insert
• TV mount & TV
• Nail gun
• Finishing nail gun
• Nails & brad nails
• Caulking & paint

Framing the fireplace bump-out

To begin creating our built-in fireplace wall, my husband Sean framed out the fireplace with 2×4 studs. We placed it slightly off-center on the wall because part of my eventual plan for the room included some IKEA cabinets on the left-hand side to create an office nook.

The dimensions of our fireplace bump-out are:

• 12 inch depth
• Floor-to-ceiling height
• 60 inch width (5 feet)

Sean added some braces in the front-center of the framed area to mount the TV, and he also installed some communication wires for the TV and internet if needed. For the horizontal braces, Sean used 2 x 8 lumber but you could also use plywood cut to size.

Can a TV and electric fireplace be plugged into the same outlet?

The safe answer to this question is no, it is best to have your electric fireplace on its own circuit. In certain models that have a reduced heat output, it would be ok to have them plugged in together. However, most electric fireplaces require a lot of power and it’s not worth the possibility of blowing the circuit if you plugged them into the same outlet. For our DIY electric fireplace and TV wall combination, Sean played it safe and created a way to have both electronic devices plugged in separately. He installed an outlet for power to the TV AND a main power line for the electric fireplace.

Because we built this little bump-out from scratch, we were able to place the outlets directly behind the TV and fireplace insert. This meant there won’t be any cords showing from the outside! Sean was able to do this so easily because he is a professional electrician (I’m lucky!). If you don’t have someone in your life trained for this kind of work, you may want to hire out this part of the job.

Next, Sean framed a square on the bottom-center for the fireplace. He added a horizontal piece of lumber where the fireplace would rest. We purchased the fireplace in advance so that we knew exactly how big to make the nook we’d need to frame out for the insert unit. Here’s the 36-inch wide electric fireplace that we used! Make sure you double-check your measurements for a perfect fit, because once your insert nook is framed it is very difficult to change it.

Installing drywall & shiplap

Once that was done, we installed drywall on the sides and front of the fireplace bump-out. We didn’t add any drywall mud or tape because we planned to add shiplap on top for a modern farmhouse coastal look. We left a hole for the fireplace insert to pop into the front of the bump-out.

Then, we installed MDF shiplap panels over the drywall on the sides and front of the fireplace area with a finishing nail gun and brad nails. We didn’t miter the corners of the shiplap because we wanted to add some MDF corner trim. However, you could use a miter saw and make the ends meet on the two corners at a 45-degree angle for a more modern look. We added some crown moulding on top and then I caulked all the seams to make the trim look seamless.

Finishing the fireplace bump-out

Next, I installed some baseboard around the bottom front and sides of the fireplace. I added some outside MDF corner trim for the outside corners of the fireplace and 1/4 round MDF trim where the bump-out meets the wall.

The DIY electric fireplace and TV wall was finished by carefully caulking all the seams and painting it with a satin finish interior latex paint. I chose Behr Ultra Pure White. This colour contrasts very slightly with the wall colour in our lake house: Behr Silky White. You all know I love white paint, so this should not surprise you!

We bought a 50″ smart TV and attached it to a TV mount over the fireplace area. (A Samsung Frame TV would also look amazing, depending on your budget!) We then popped the electric fireplace insert into the opening we left for it and made sure to plug it in before pushing it all the way back.

I considered adding an oak mantel under the TV, but I actually like the clean look of this wall without a mantel. I may add one in the future, though!

We are so happy with how this fireplace feature wall turned out in our Little Lake House. This was a time-consuming DIY, but totally worth it in the end. It’s simple and clean looking, and it adds just enough interest to this living space to make it a focal feature. Our rental guests love the ambiance of the faux fireplace, and the TV is well-used by all!

Let me know what you think of our fireplace wall in the comments. Would you ever try a DIY project like this in your home?

To see what else we did to this living room space with links to the items used, click here.

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