mmonika I think electric fireplaces have come a long way, even in the last few years. I was completely against them and wanted a gas fireplace, until all the factors were put on the table...
Gas fireplace unit - 5,000
Gas hook-up - 300
Venting - fortunately we have an existing chimney we could use, so cost of vent line ?
Space- smallest depth I could find was 15" so this meant I would now be loosing space in my already small dining room
Pro- real fire

Electric fireplace, which looked pretty darn good with faux wood, - 1500
Electrical outet - nothing, just plug in and go.. Or wire a separate outlet behind the unit itself ( I think we are doing that)
Venting- Don't have to
Space- 4-6 " for the unit to hang on the wall
PRO- You can have the ambiance of the fire without having the HEAT on and while electricity is more costly then gas, consider how much you will use it and the base monthly fee for gas. In the end, it was the same operating cost.

Also, we were told at the fireplace store we were at, while the vent-less gas fireplaces are an interesting idea, they are not completely odorless. The store keeper said they kept getting headaches when these units were on so that turned us off.

Cynthia Taylor-Luce Great advice! thanks for the good analysis. Yes, electrics have come a looooong way! And yes, they can go anywhere you have an electrical outlet.

Tileshop The tiles look like a large format porcelain tile like this 12x24 tile with a Lappato Finish.
The series is called Tailor Made.
http://www.tile-shop.com/products/taliormade/taliormade.html

COASTROAD Hearth & Patio Modern Flames makes beautiful fireplaces, but they are all electric, and the one shown above is gas.
This is a Modern Flames fireplace:
.

Heat & Glo Fireplaces: Designed to Inspire @COASTROAD Hearth & Patio - you are spot on!

This is the Heat & Glo RED Series Gas Fireplace. This same fireplace also comes in a see-through version for impact in two rooms. The site has more pictures of the finishing options that are available. We're also more than happy to help if you have any other questions!

http://www.heatnglo.com/Products/RED-Series-Gas-Fireplace.aspx?page=Features

polka_tie Thank you for the very thorough answer ... it is appreciated.

Bimma Loft No chimney is needed for denatured ethanol burning products, but if you do something as large as the one shown in the photo you would need to have an operable window in the room as fire uses oxygen to burn. you can buy a unit that has been prebuilt to safety specifications, or you can do a custom installation- but for that we only sell to a licenced contractor for the buildout who signs a specs and clearances form.
There are instruction manuels on how to operate them safely, I will some up the manual for you: Use common sense, treat it with the same caution that you would a regular fireplace. Do not add more fuel if there is any question the burner is still too hot. Do not add fuel to an already burning flame, use the tools not your hands to touch hot surfaces.
We have had one in our house for almost 4 years now and noone has ever come close to being injured by it.

They are very efficient heaters, and they cost rouphly $1 an hour or less to burn.

robynl It looks like a Porcelanosa tile - Cemento - possibly.

sandre Where can I find this coffee table?

eawoodlee This looks like a custom unit, but here are links to Spark and Montigo for sources of linear fireplaces:

http://www.sparkfires.com/products/linear-burner-system
http://www.montigo.com/index.php?page=show-product&c=residential_single%20sided_linear&series=R-view%20Series