I'm not sure what I thought, but this arrived promptly in two boxes. It was easy to put together and it is a beautiful piece of furniture. I thought it would look cheap but it is beautiful. It's really off white so if you are looking for pure white, this is not the fireplace for you. I love the lines of this piece and the quality. It adjusts temp and flame height and I love that. It has a timer too. Totally happy I bought this piece.