Modern Flames built its name on linear electric fireplaces, but the Nova Clear 48 moves the brand into a category most electric fireplace lines never touch: a true see-through unit you can build into a wall between two rooms. Instead of a solid firebox, the Nova Clear uses a transparent panel and laser-projected flames so you get fire visible from both sides, plus a media display when the flames are off. At $9,999, it is a serious investment, so here is what the technology actually does, where it makes sense in a home, and how it compares to a standard single-sided built-in.
TL;DR
The Nova Clear projects its flame image onto an ultra-thin transparent optical film rather than lighting a physical fire behind glass, which is how it stays see-through from both sides at over 80% transparency. Modern Flames offers four flame styles (Wood Burning, Gas, Hybrid, and Custom), each with six color options and three speeds, plus an illuminated split-log set with its own lighting modes. Heat is handled separately from the flame: independent dual-zone PTC ceramic heaters let you run heat on the front, the back, both, or neither, so the fireplace can run as a pure visual feature in a room that does not need supplemental warmth.
Our Top Pick: Modern Flames Nova Clear 48, built as a divider between a kitchen and living area
A see-through unit earns its price when it is doing a job a single-sided fireplace cannot: separating two living spaces without a solid wall. The Nova Clear's four installation options (Clean Face, Bay, Island, and Floating) are built around that use case. A floating wall install between a kitchen and a living room, or a primary bedroom and its ensuite bathroom, lets both rooms share one fire feature instead of each needing its own. It is less of a fit as a simple over-the-media-console fireplace, where a standard Modern Flames linear model does the same visual job for a fraction of the cost. Framing depth is 7-5/16 inches for 2x4 walls and 6-5/16 inches for 2x6 walls, and Modern Flames specifies 36 inches of minimum clearance to combustibles on each side, so the wall cavity and surrounding furniture layout need to be planned before ordering.
Worth Seeing: the same fireplace used as a bedroom-to-bathroom divider
It's worth separating two categories that get lumped together under "double-sided." A 3-sided bay fireplace, such as the Amantii TRU-VIEW Slim, has glass on the front and both ends, but the back sits against a wall, so the whole unit is viewed from inside one room at three angles, the way a peninsula or corner installation works. It is not built to divide two separate rooms. A true see-through fireplace has glass (or, on the Nova Clear, a transparent panel) on opposite faces, so each side opens into its own room, which is the actual comparison point for a divider installation like the ones shown above.
The right pick when you want fire visible from three angles in one room, not a wall feature that splits two rooms.
The other factor worth weighing is maintenance. Because the Nova Clear has no real flame, there is no log set to clean, no soot to wipe off glass, and no gas line to inspect annually, the kind of upkeep that comes with a true see-through gas fireplace. The trade-off runs the other way too: a laser-projected flame will never look quite as organic as a real flame moving through logs, and the display function only works once you add a separate streaming device, so the $9,999 price does not include everything needed to use every feature out of the box.
The Nova Clear 48 ships with the fireplace, a front-and-back log set, wood chips, crushed glass media, a remote control, installation hardware, and the owner's manual. It runs on 120V (1,200W, 4,100 BTU) or hardwired 240V split-phase with neutral (2,400W, 8,200 BTU), with heating coverage of roughly 410 to 820 square feet depending on the circuit. Controls include an onboard touch panel, the included remote, or the Modern Flames app, plus Dolby Audio with Bluetooth streaming and a sleep timer from 30 minutes to 8 hours. It carries CSA certification and a 5-year warranty with product registration at modernflames.com (2 years if unregistered). Note that the streaming device for the display function and the Studio Suite Mantel Package for a finished floating-wall look are both sold separately.
No. It is fully electric, so there is no gas line and no venting required. It needs either a dedicated 120V 15A (20A preferred) circuit or a hardwired 240V split-phase circuit with neutral, depending on which power configuration you choose.
Between 4,100 BTU on a 120V circuit and 8,200 BTU on a 240V circuit, covering about 410 to 820 square feet. The dual-zone design also lets you run the front and back heaters independently, or turn heat off entirely and keep only the flame effect.
Yes. The transparent panel doubles as a display when you connect a compatible streaming device (sold separately) into the fireplace's internal streaming cavity, which includes HDMI and USB power connections.
Four: single-sided built-in (Clean Face), a 3-sided bay, an island, or a floating wall. Framing depth is 7-5/16 inches for 2x4 walls or 6-5/16 inches for 2x6 walls.
Five years from purchase if you register the product at modernflames.com, or two years if you don't register it.
The Nova Clear pairs with the standard Modern Flames app for remote and scheduling control, but it is not compatible with the separate Modern Flames+ platform. It does support compatible smart-home voice and app integration alongside the included touch panel and remote.
Buying a gas fireplace insert means budgeting for more than the unit price: venting type, chimney condition, and installation labor all factor in. This guide compares direct-vent and vent-free options and breaks down what drives the real installed cost.
An electric fireplace insert that won't heat is usually a thermostat, power, vent, or clearance issue rather than a failed unit. This guide walks through the troubleshooting checklist in order and explains when to call a professional instead.
{"one"=>"Select 2 or 3 items to compare", "other"=>"{{ count }} of 3 items selected"}
Leave a comment