This is a good value for the money; the finish ,while not exceptional, is nice. It does have some assembly, however, it is only screwing on 8 legs.  It is DARKER than the picture indicates, it is not nearly as reddish toned... it is a dark brown.  In our case, the color worked OK, but that may not be true for everyone.  If you want a cherry tone, it is at at the far end of the cherry spectrum.