Rarely do I begin the process of removing parts from a box and say, 'wow, this is going to be a sturdy piece of furniture that I purchased online,' but that's what happened here. The assembly process is somewhat arduous because each piece is rather substantial and heavy. But the trouble is worth it, because this shelf has simplicity about it but also a confident panache. It's larger than you might think from the photos or even after assessing the measurements, but it's a quality that makes it formidable and enjoyable to decorate. I use mine to demarcate between the kitchen and living room spaces in my home, so some of the shelves are purely decorative but others need to be workhorses through my daily cooking and coffee-drinking routine. Though it has only been a few hours since I've constructed this, I can already tell this shelf with withstand the test of time and heavy usage.