The black material that covers the wires was pretty kinked when I first recieved it but it straightened out over time due to the weight. It was also extremely long and was a struggle to get wrapped tight enough in order to hide inside the base without interfering with the wires that connects to the electrical. The base of the fixture is smaller than the one that use to be there so I had to buy a ceiling medallion to hide the imperfections that were left behind. The directions are pretty simple to follow and I was able to do it on my own. Once installed I was happy with the fixture.