I have always loved a fireplace and had one in every home we have owned. When we downsized to a small condo in FL, I knew at some point I would add a fireplace. It took going through three years of Christmas holidays without one to finally make a plan and create a DIY built-in fireplace.

Fireplace Planning

I did a lot of research before building my new fireplace. We currently do not have gas and I wanted an electric insert that did not look cheap. It was important it look real but not cost a fortune. I also wanted it to look like it was part of the home and not just stuck against a wall. Because our condo is small I knew I had to plan the right measurements for the insert and television. It also had fit in with my coastal cottage style. You can check out a couple of my other DIY posts to see more of my style…https://carlascoastalcreations.com/diy-brick-floors/https://carlascoastalcreations.com/bathroom-remodel-using-shiplap/

DIY Fireplace Research

I love Pinterest and use it to find most of my DIY projects. Most DIY enthusiasts love to share their projects and tutorials to help others. Once I found the style I wanted, I needed to find the best electric insert that looked real for the best price. This led me to a blog that I absolutely adore http://thebloomingnest.com. I used her exact tutorial and bought the exact same insert and tv. The tv is called the Samsung Frame and displays art when you are not watching. I love this because people truly don’t realize it is a tv. The fireplace insert is made by Touchstone and is the Sideline 55′ electric insert. It has several settings for the flame and colors as well as an actual heater that can be on or off while using the flame.

DIY Built-In Fireplace Installation

So here is what I used and how I built this bad boy…I have actually built several now as clients from my design business wanted the exact replica.

I wanted the fireplace centered on my wall so I measured and found the exact center…when I did it was off from where the fan was so I actually just used the fan as my center.

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The pics above show the progression of building. I first used painter’s tape to mark the placement of the tv and fireplace insert. I then used 1×6 boards to serve as studs for the frame. I only wanted the fireplace to extend 13 inches out from the wall so I built the sides to that measurement.

Building The Frame

I then built the front frame making sure my 2×4’s were in the right position to serve as studs for the tv and fireplace insert screws. I attached a small shelf to hold the box for the tv and my surge protector. I made sure it was close to the hole for the tv, so if I ever need to get to it I can reach it. After the frame was completed I started my shiplap from the top. I built the mantel from 1×8’s and stained it with a white wash finish with a little gray and brown.

This is a link to the tutorial I used to build my frame https://www.bloomingnest.com/installing-a-fireplace-our-new-samsung-frame-tv/ . This is the link to the tutorial I used to build the mantel https://remingtonavenue.com. Both of these are great blogs for DIY home projects.

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