I love this lamp. The gold is the perfect shade of brushed gold-it doesn't look cheap. The shade is not quite white when it's off but when you turn the lamp on it gives this warm glow that anyone would love. I adore the design on the lamp, it's quite modern and the height of the lamp gives a beautiful presence in any room. The bottom of the lamp has black velvet to protect your furniture from scratches. One nice touch is that the led light bulb was included making it a complete package.