The color is light Colonial blue, not royal. The quality is a little shoddy, and the upholstery is more like chenille than velvet. All that being said, it was cheap enough to not break my heart if the kids mess it up, the chenille quickly released the hot cocoa the kids spilled on it, and I actually was able to assemble it myself (with the assistance of chairs to hold things up for me). So the 3 stars "it's okay" is perfectly appropriate.