It was easy to put together.  My teenage son and his Mom put the bed together in 2 hours, including clean up.  It looks nice and seems to be a good quality.  I thought the lights on the side table were built in (see picture); they are not built in.  No lighting comes with the bed.  Also, the side tables just lay on top of the fabric step/platform.  The tables are removable, which seems to be a nice feature.  The mattress sits on slates; it's not a solid base.  So far, my son really likes the bed.