I got mine in the darkest finish. Beautiful when finished and not hard to put up. Looks overwhelming but everything is packaged neatly and organized with small #'s on the parts, don't just take everything out at once. My kids ages 4, 5, and 6 love it, especially the book shelves on the side. You have the option to put the stairs on the left or right and the manufacturer cust service is great if you need them.