I ordered this bench with the intention of using it to store my daughter's toys and it's doing the job just fine. Putting it together was frustrating. The hardware that was included were all so cheap, the screws stripped with hardly any force and a couple screws actually broke. I almost wish I had just gone out and purchased all new screws before completing it.  I'd actually suggest it for anyone ordering this. The middle piece to go in the storage area also came with no holes for the screws to go into, so we had to drill them ourselves (maybe this was just an error on ours). 
The wood itself is sturdy and beautiful and I love the completed bench. I also received it SO quickly (7 days before ETA), which was awesome.