Sixteen feet of wall is a lot of room to get right. In this Indiana home, Radford Woodworks turned that span into a single custom Indiana electric fireplace wall: Turkish marble running floor to ceiling, a recessed electric fire box set flush in the stone, and floating shelves with no bracket in sight.
The result reads as one designed feature instead of a TV, a fireplace, and some shelving sharing a wall. Here are the seven design decisions that got it there.
At a Glance
- The full wall spans 16 feet, with the right side framed out 17 inches to hold a recessed shelf bay tied into the fireplace column.
- Turkish marble ledger stone runs floor to ceiling, giving the column real architectural presence.
- A Touchstone Sideline recessed electric fireplace sits flush in the stone, with no gas line, chimney, or venting required.
- Recessed floating shelves carry books and objects with no visible bracket.
- A full custom TV and fireplace wall at this scale typically runs $8,000–$15,000+ in Indiana, depending on materials and structural work.
What goes into a 16-foot custom electric fireplace wall?
A wall like this comes down to four coordinated trades: structural framing changes, stone work, finish carpentry, and a precisely spec’d fireplace unit. When those are planned together, the finished wall looks designed rather than assembled.
For this Indiana project, the Radford Woodworks crew built out a full 16-foot wall. The right side was framed out 17 inches to create a recessed shelf bay that ties directly into the fireplace column, so the shelving feels built in because it is. That kind of structural decision happens during the mockup phase, before a single nail goes into the wall.
Seven details do the heavy lifting on this build:
- A 17-inch structural bump-out that creates a recessed shelf bay beside the fireplace.
- Turkish marble ledger stone run floor to ceiling rather than stopping at the mantel.
- A Touchstone Sideline recessed electric fire box set flush in the stone field.
- Recessed floating shelves with no visible bracket system.
- A floating walnut-toned mantel shelf that ties the two halves of the wall together.
- Warm wood tones set against the cool, light marble for intentional contrast.
- A centered TV sitting square in the stone rather than cropped against an edge.
Why does Turkish marble ledger stone work on a fireplace surround?
Turkish marble ledger stone gives a fireplace wall two things at once: natural texture and a clean, layered surface that reads high-end without taking over the room. It is one of the more forgiving ways to get a real stone look that still feels warm.
Ledger stone installs in interlocking panels, often 6×24 or a similar format, which stack into the staggered, dimensional pattern you see here. Running the stone floor to ceiling instead of stopping at the mantel line is a deliberate choice. It pulls the eye up, makes the ceiling feel taller, and gives the fireplace column architectural weight rather than a surface treatment.
Natural stone continues to lead as a preferred material for fireplace surrounds in 2025, with designers favoring textured, three-dimensional surfaces that read through light and shadow, according to Beno’s Flooring. Turkish marble in particular carries warm, light-toned variation, so no two sections of the wall look identical. That variation is the point.
What is a Touchstone recessed electric fireplace, and why use one?
A Touchstone recessed electric fireplace is a linear, in-wall electric unit built to sit flush inside a framed opening, with its heat vent on the front face so it can be fully recessed without blocking airflow. That front vent is what lets a builder bury it in stone.
The Sideline series used on this project comes in sizes from 36 inches up to 100 inches, all at a consistent 5.25 inches deep and 20.25 inches high. That standard depth lets the crew frame the opening to exact spec, apply stone around it, and finish with a unit that sits perfectly flush, with no gap and no oversized trim ring around a too-small box.
Electric also means no gas line, no venting chase, and no chimney, which matters when you are working inside the existing framing of an Indiana home. The unit plugs into a standard 110V outlet or can be hardwired, runs up to 5,000 BTUs of supplemental heat, and can run flame-only with no heat once the seasons turn.
Touchstone Sideline specs at a glance:
- Sizes: 36″ to 100″
- Depth: 5.25″
- Height: 20.25″
- Power: 110V plug-in or hardwired
- Heat: up to 5,000 BTU, with a flame-only mode
How do recessed floating shelves change a fireplace wall?
Recessed floating shelves sit inside the plane of the wall instead of projecting off the front of it. The result is a shelf that appears to float, without the visual bulk of a bracket system or a full cabinet face.
On this build, the structural bump-out on the right side created the room needed for full recesses, generally 10 to 17 inches of usable shelf depth depending on framing. That is enough for books, objects, speakers, or arrangements, with no bracket showing anywhere.
The wood finish on the shelves reads warm against the cool, light tones of the Turkish marble, a contrast that keeps the wall from going flat and monochromatic. The floating walnut-toned mantel shelf ties the two halves of the wall together along one clean horizontal line. For a homeowner who wants this look on a smaller scale, the same approach works on a single run of floating shelves.
What does a custom Indiana electric fireplace wall cost?
A full custom TV and fireplace wall in the 14–20 foot range typically runs $8,000–$15,000 or more in Indiana, depending on materials, structural changes, and finish carpentry. Structural work, like the 17-inch bump-out on this project, adds framing labor and material that a surface-mounted build would not.
Here is how the pieces tend to break down:
| Component | Typical Indiana cost range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full custom TV + fireplace wall (14–20 ft) | $8,000–$15,000+ | TV Media Wall Cost 2026 |
| Fireplace build-out: stone veneer + recessed unit (before cabinetry) | $4,500–$7,200+ | CountBricks |
| Touchstone Sideline unit (by size, before install) | ~$800–$1,449 | ModernBlaze |
The honest version of pricing: cost scales with how much the wall changes structurally, which materials go on it, and how much finish detail is specified. Radford Woodworks works through a full design mockup before any build begins, so a client sees what they are getting before the first board is cut. If you are weighing a fireplace alongside cabinetry, our custom built-ins and cabinetry
Why does the mockup phase matter before building a wall like this?
A 16-foot structural wall change is not a call you make on-site with a tape measure. The recesses, the fireplace opening, the stone layout, and the shelf positions all interact, and getting those relationships right on screen before framing starts is what separates a wall that looks designed from one that looks pieced together.
Radford Woodworks moves from first contact through full mockups to install as one coordinated process. That sequence shows in the finished work: the stone aligns at the fireplace opening, the shelves read as part of the column, and the TV sits centered in the stone field instead of awkwardly cropped. The same planning carries across our custom electric fireplace installation [confirm slug] work throughout central Indiana.
Frequently asked questions about Indiana electric fireplace walls
Can an electric fireplace be fully recessed into a stone wall?
Yes. The Touchstone Sideline series is built for recessed installs, with a front-facing vent that lets the unit sit flush inside a framed, stone-clad opening. A skilled carpenter frames the opening to the unit’s specs before stone goes on, so the finished surface reads as one continuous material.
Do I need a gas line or special venting for a recessed electric fireplace?
No. Recessed electric fireplaces like the Touchstone Sideline run on standard 110V household current, with no gas line, chimney, or venting chase required. That makes them practical for almost any interior wall in an Indiana home.
How far does a wall need to be bumped out for recessed shelving?
Recessed shelving generally needs 10 to 18 inches of depth, depending on what you plan to store and how deep you want the shelf to read. On this project, the right side of the wall was framed out 17 inches to achieve full recesses integrated with the fireplace build-out.
Does Radford Woodworks handle the full build?
Yes. Radford Woodworks manages the complete build: structural framing, fireplace installation, stone application, custom shelving, and finish carpentry. A client works through a mockup phase first, so every detail is confirmed before construction begins.
Ready to plan your own fireplace wall?
If you have a wall that could carry this kind of feature, Radford Woodworks would be glad to talk it through with you. Give us a call or send a few details about your space through our contact form, and we will start with the same mockup process behind the wall you just read about. No pressure and no obligation, only an honest look at what your room could become.