This is what I expected based on reading the reviews. The finish is scratched on a few of the squares, which shows as black due to the underlying color , but it's not super noticeable unless you get right up close. If I get ambitious one day maybe I'll buy some silver paint and try to touch it up. Definitely need a measuring tape and level to hang it: the hanging spots are on either corner so you really have to measure exactly where they should go.