I'm disappointed in the quality (or lack thereof) of the veneer. I was hoping for at least "IKEA" grade, but it's much thinner. Out of the box a few of the edges were dinged up. I figured with it being black it would be easy to fill those spots. It was not super easy to put together, and one part needed two sets of hands. It took me a little over an hour to complete. Another review mentioned black powder coming off of the pieces, which I had too. This is exactly the style I was looking for, unfortunately this is the quality I get for not spending $500. It's functional, heavy, and I'm glad I have it. My biggest wish is that the top were solid wood instead of veneer.