We were looking for a queen headboard to complete our guest room. I already decided that I wanted an iron one to match the hardware on the furniture we had already and this one was perfect. The color was exactly as described - between a black and a dark silver. It pulls the room together nicely and looks like we paid much more for it than we actually did. I can't speak to installation because my husband did it himself but he did mention that it wasn't easy going and he had to pull out the drill to get it attached.