I ordered the "brown" color. I saw on other reviews that it looks more grey in person, and I agree. However, I love the color much better! It matches my decor perfectly. It was very easy to assemble. I had another person to help, and we finished in only about 10 minutes. The surface is not smooth. It has a rough-ish texture to it. I love it because I have cats that jump on everything so scratching has not been an issue. Since it looks a little weathered, I don't have to worry about them ruining it. It feels very sturdy and weighted. It don't think it looks cheap at all. I'm very happy considering I didn't see it in person before I bought it. The only complaint I have is that I don't like having a bar on the bottom where I might bump my feet, but this is in no way the table's fault but a personal preference. I've been looking for a decently priced coffee table for awhile, and I'm happy I chose this one. I ordered the matching end table as well, and I'm just as happy with it.