For the price I am thrilled with this purchase. It was fairly easy to assemble. And unlike the negative reviews, the top in my opinion seems to be made of a finished plywood, not laminate. As long as wetness is cleaned up promptly I cant imagine it affecting the finish. The hardware was very difficult to tighten on the stools. One of them is very wobbly, but well see if it improves after I attempt to tighten again. For how much I paid for the island, I would not be upset if I had to replace the stools. Ive got a ton of compliments on the peice and it seems to be very solid for the price. I would definitely recommend the purchase!