ChimneyFree Wallace Infrared Electric Fireplace Entertainment Center in Empire Cherry - 26MM1264-EPC

My wife and I needed an entertainment center for our new house. In our previous home we mounted our TV above the fireplace and both of us enjoyed the ambiance a fire provided. Our new home does not have a fireplace so we started looking into electric fireplace inserts for entertainment centers. We searched in stores, online, asked friends, etc. What we found is basically this. You are going to spend between $400-$800 if you are looking for a quality piece. Some models had were of quality materials but the electric insert was sub-par. Finding the balance between the two without breaking the bank is the trick.We were both a little worried to spend this much money on a piece of furniture that isn't solid wood. After assembling the product we are no longer worried. Most of the materials are extremely solid. The only exception is the three back pieces that are used to close off the top, left, and right storage areas. They look nice but are basically stained plywood. Also the electric insert is fantastic, not tacky at all. Quite honestly you would be hard pressed to tell that it isn't vent-less gas at first glance more so when you feel the heat output it provides.In the end we decided upon this model over a fewer cheaper ones because of quality of electric insert (e.g. thermostat, timer, multi-flame output options, design). If you decide to go with this one the only other point worth mentioning is that the assembly instructions and packaging are fantastic. Do not purchase the assembly option at checkout. You will not need it.

The unit is well made and beautiful when together. The instructions are logical and straight forward. All pieces are identified and put in place according to a visual diagram, each piece has a sticker so you will get the right piece to fit where it is supposed, in short simple. I am 90 years old and it took me a little over an hour to build it. Now the other problem is delivery: I arranged with ABF to have the unit delivered after 1PM. I got a call at 11:00am saying they were at the delivery point. Also, they wouldn't take it up the service elevator to my apartment. So they dropped it off around the corner at Maintenance. I had to arrange for someone to pick it up and deliver it. None of this was covered in the advertisement. So beware and be specific about delivery instructions. I would have refused delivery but for my wife showing disappointment if I didn't get it for her. Should state may be poor delivery. Contractor don't use ABF if you want good service.

If this is your first assembly project you will need help. There are no written assembly instructions, only an assembly diagram booklet. For those that complain about door alignment and assembly issues I say carefully read and follow the diagrams and take your time putting it together and it will look as beautiful as pictured. Go through your parts list and lay them out before you start to make sure all the parts are there. Yes, it is heavy and that is a good thing in my view. I have a wood shop and have assembled numerous furniture items but still I took my time and took 6 hours to unbox and assemble it. I also hand rubbed a light coat of Minwax Trewax to all finished surfaces before I assembled it to give it a nicer appearance and protect the finish for many years to come. Note: Do not tighten down the lower upright panels until after you install the doors so you can adjust them for door clearances and to make them square. Complete the bottom section before finishing with the top section. Inserting the screws to secure the electric fireplace is challenging.

I ordered this fireplace while building a house but did not put it together until several months had passed. I have to say that I am disappointed in the quality. I bought this particular one because the length was perfect for my space and other reviews were positive, especially concerning the realistic fire. It is a lovely piece of furniture but I have several issues with it. It did not go together smoothly. The top has very light scratches in a round manner, like a buffer had a piece of sand on it. The doors will not close without forcing and there is a spot above the fireplace about the size of a quarter that has no stain on it. Having seen so many since I purchased this one that were lovely and half the price, I now believe I overpaid by a considerable amount.

If you follow the instructions, easy assembly. Assembled by myself in about an 90 minutes.

The cherry fireplace was as advertised but takes hours to assemble. Found that three pieces were missing from the shipment. After repeated calls to customer service we were told that they could not replace the missing parts. So now we are stuck with an incomplete piece of furniture in our family room. If you buy, hope you get all the pieces there is no recourse.

Whoever drilled the holes must have been drunk the day they drilled the holes for mine. The holes on one outside board where drilled so that they lined up only if the board was upside down. I had to drill all new holes so that the board would fit right. Also the two doors are a tight fit, they don't open and close easily. If you are planning on using the side cabinets for​ DVD or CD storage then don't plan on fitting many in it unless you stack them behind each other. On the upside​, once it's assembled it looks great. Plenty of space on the middle shelf. I have a Blu Ray player, a clock and a cable box on mine and still have room. I got mine in the summer so I haven't tried the heat yet, but the flames look awesome. There are 5 different color flames to choose from, but instead of keeping mine on one color I set it on auto so the flames change colors.

fits in with decore