I loved the way the pictures looked online, but in person I'm a little undecided. The pole and base are petite, but the lamp shade is very large. It looks much less balanced and proportional in person than the online pictures. I'll probably live with it for a while to see if it grows on me or if I want to switch the lamp shade to something a little smaller. The build quality seems great and is what I would expect in this price point. The finish of the wood and brass is excellent. In the listing picture the metal appears more like nickel to me, but in person it is very much brass.