Looking for a way to modernise your home and save space? A media wall is an excellent addition to any living room, bedroom, or reception area!

Want some additional ambience and warmth while you snuggle in to watch your favourite show on Netflix? Installing a fireplace in your media wall will take your media wall to the next level.

How much does a media wall with a fireplace cost? How easy is it to install? And most importantly, is it safe? 

We'll answer all your questions about media walls and fireplaces in this article and provide some media walls with fireplace design ideas to inspire your next home renovation!

• What is a media wall?
• Benefits of a media wall
• Why add a fireplace to a media wall?
• How much does a media wall with a fireplace cost?
• Is installing a fireplace in a media wall safe?
• What to bear in mind when installing a media wall with a fireplace
• Media walls with fireplaces: some additional ideas to inspire you

What is a media wall?

A media wall (often referred to as an entertainment wall) is a feature wall that your television is mounted on.

You can also use your media wall to contain additional items like satellite boxes, music systems, and game consoles.

Media walls typically involve creating a false wall or 'stud' wall that sits in front of your real wall. This is a hollow, non-load-bearing wall which you can conceal wires and speakers in to give your media wall a neat appearance.

Benefits of a media wall

There are lots of great benefits to installing a media wall in your home. These include:

• All your cables are hidden in the wall, meaning you don't have to worry about mess or tripping over wires
• Your television and other media devices are attached to the wall, meaning more floor space
• A media wall creates a focal point in a room and can even add value to your home. Keep reading to discover some fantastic ways to enhance your media wall!

Why add a fireplace to a media wall?

Many people install a fireplace in their media wall, and it's easy to see why!

A fireplace doesn't just look stunning but creates an inviting and cosy atmosphere. 

Imagine sitting on your sofa on a cold winter night, hot chocolate in hand, being mesmerised by the dancing flames of the fireplace embedded in your media wall!

Most people install their fireplace directly above or beneath their media wall, but you can have both side-by-side for a more contemporary look if you prefer.

Another benefit of a fireplace in a media wall is that you can hide all the wires and cables in the stud wall, meaning your fireplace looks neat and clean, with no trailing cables or plug sockets.

How much does a media wall with a fireplace cost?

If you're installing a media wall with a fireplace, it's best to leave it to the professionals. A tradesperson will ensure everything is safe and sturdy and that all the cables are neatly tucked away. 

Most media walls take between two to three days to install, although this can vary depending on the amount of work that needs to be done.

According to Checkatrade, the average media wall and fireplace costs between £2,300 and £3,500 to install. 

It's important to remember that this cost only covers the building of the wall and not the fireplace and television. Plus, if you need to install new sockets, you'll need to factor this into the project budget.

Is installing a fireplace in a media wall safe?

Yes. You just have to choose the right type of fireplace.

You need to choose a fireplace that blows heat from the front rather than the top. This protects your television and the structural integrity of your wall.

You also need a fireplace that's easy to install, self-contained and doesn't need a flue or a chimney.

This means that the two best options are electric fireplaces and bioethanol fireplaces. While these types of fireplaces won't heat the whole of your home, they're ideal for flooding your room with lots of heat and real flickering flames. 

An electric fireplace is an affordable and eco-friendly option, but one of the main disadvantages is that you don't experience a real, authentic, crackling flame.

However, a bioethanol fireplace produces real fire, meaning you get the sensation of a log burning fire without the mess, smoke, and maintenance. You can even add logs and pebbles to your biofire to enhance the look of your fire even further.

Plus, biofires are safe. All our bioethanol fireplaces come with anti-spill box technology, meaning there is no risk of fuel spillage if your fireplace is knocked.

Whether you want something modern or a more traditional, rustic fireplace, a bioethanol fire is an ideal partner for your media wall. If you want to know more about how to install a bioethanol fire in your media wall, our friendly team will be more than happy to answer your questions.

What to bear in mind when installing a media wall with a fireplace

So you want to install a media wall with a fireplace. What plans do you need to have in place?

The good news is that you don't need planning permission to build a media wall. Although, if you live in a listed building or conservation area, we recommend speaking to your local council first.

You need to think about what elements you want to install in your media wall and where the plug sockets in your room are. You may need an electrician to install extra sockets to accommodate everything. 

When you've embedded your elements into your media wall, you won't be able to move them around, so make sure you're happy with the proposed layout.

If you're installing a bioethanol fire, we recommend leaving at least 45cm between the television and fireplace for safety. You might also want to consider a television with heat-resistant components or a cooling system specifically designed to be used with a fireplace.

Alternatively, you can install a non-combustible shelf or beam above your fireplace to ensure heat doesn't rise.

It's also important to consider the dimensions of your room when installing a media wall and fireplace. A media wall needs to be between 20 and 24 inches deep to accommodate your television and fireplace, which can take a significant amount of space out of your room. 

This may mean a media wall might not work in a small area where there's not much space to move around.

Media walls with fireplaces: some additional ideas to inspire you

As you can see, a media wall and fireplace combination is fantastic for making your home stand out! Here are some additional entertainment walls with fireplace ideas to help you create a media wall that you'll love for years to come.

Add shelving

Integrated shelving is perfect for additional storage. 

Store your games, DVDs, and CDs so they're easily accessible, or show off your family photos and knickknacks.

Consider your proportions

For the most aesthetically pleasing effect, we recommend that your fireplace and television are around the same size. For example, if you have a 50-inch television, we recommend a fireplace with a width of 1,000mm.

Of course, this is just personal preference – experiment and see what you like most! A design tool like Home by Me can help you visualise how your media wall and fireplace will look together. 

Make it stand out with a coat of paint

If you want to make your media wall even more of a focal point, why not paint it a different colour to the rest of your room? If you don't want to paint your media wall, wood panelling or shiplap can provide lots of rustic charm.

Wallpaper can also look lovely, but be sure to use a fire-resistant option.

Use your media wall strategically

Your media wall doesn't have to be built against another wall. 

Why not use your media wall as a partition to segment a large open-plan room?

Don't forget the lighting! 

A tradesperson will be able to add spotlights and LEDs to your media wall, creating ambient lighting that perfectly complements your brand-new fireplace.

Alternatively, flameless candles can look stunning on a dark winter's night.

Consider a TV mirror

If you want to go all out, TV mirrors are majorly on trend at the moment. 

These framed televisions act like mirrors when turned off, brightening your room, making it feel more spacious, and making your television appear less prominent.

Transform your room with a media wall and fireplace 

We hope this guide to media walls with fireplace ideas has inspired you to transform your home. 

No two media walls are alike, so experiment and find a style that perfectly matches your unique aesthetic!

Don't forget, if you're looking for a fantastic wall-mounted bioethanol fireplace to add the perfect finishing touch to your entertainment wall, we sell the most extensive range in the UK.