Cheap, cheap, cheap. The color is definitely a dark blue-toned gray, bordering on a slate blue. My dog is able to push his nose between the slats and pop them out without trouble--so far none of them have actually broken, but I've only had this out for 2 days. There were dents on a few pieces but they're on the inside, so I didn't feel like taking the time to return this. Hinges are plastic, doors feel flimsy. I can't wait to see how long it lasts, because I can't imagine it will be very long.