Modern Flames: Spectrum Slimline 74" Wall Mount/Recessed Fireplace

A plug-in linear fire that recesses into an everyday wall or hangs on it—without a wide black glass frame. The 74-inch Spectrum Slimline finishes with a slim trim, so tile or wood can run right up to the flame.

Quick Facts

• Viewing Area: 70″ wide
• Fuel: Electric.
• Controls: Remote and a touch-button panel with digital thermostat and timer.
• Fan: Included

Who It’s For

Adding a fireplace usually means a contractor, a deep wall, and a big frame around the glass. You need a fire that goes in like a picture, not a remodel. If you want a linear fire in a living room wall under the TV and want it to plug into an outlet, the 74-inch Spectrum Slimline is the one. Pick a deep built-in and you’re opening up the wall; pick this one and the job is a recess in an ordinary wall, or a wall mount.

What Makes It Special

Modern Flames took away the large black glass surround that most recessed electrics carry and finished it with a slim trim, so more of what you see is fire and your hardwood or tile meets the opening. The flame and the ember bed take their colors independently, over driftwood logs and an acrylic crystal ember bed that both come standard.

It plugs into a standard 120-volt outlet, comes with do-it-yourself installation instructions, and can be installed beneath a TV. The fan-forced heater is variable with a thermostat, a timer turns it off when you choose, and the flames run with the heat off.

Possible Downsides

• The manufacturer rates it for supplemental heat only; it warms the space you’re in, not the house.
• It faces straight out only; for corner or three-sided installs, look at the Landscape Pro Multi.
• The flame is LED-lit, not drawn on a screen; for a screen-drawn fire in a slim wall, look at the Orion Slim.

If you want a linear fire without a remodel—recessed into an ordinary wall or hung on it, and plugged in—the 74-inch Spectrum Slimline is the right decision. The room gets a fire you turn on for ten minutes or the whole evening.

There are no add-on kits for this size; flame color, ember bed color, heat, and timer are all set from the remote or the touch panel.