We purchased this freestanding electric fireplace to keep our finished basement toasty in the cold months. It heats the whole area nicely. It looks great -- it isn't too obstructive and has a clean, contemporary look that we like. We were worried that with an electric fireplace, the "flame" would look cheesy, but it isn't bad. I wish this piece were a LITTLE bit deeper so that we could have put a cable box for a TV on it, or even put a TV itself on there. It's also a little bit noisy, so if you're looking for absolute silence this wouldn't be right for you. The noise doesn't bother me at all but it's worth pointing out. The instructions say it'll take 40 minutes to put together, but give yourself at least an hour, and put it together with a partner -- you'll need an extra set of hands to hold sides together and lift the actual fireplace unit into place. All in all, a great buy and I'd definitely recommend!