I wanted something that was nice-looking but didn't want to spend a fortune.  This piece looks like a much more expensive item.  Definitely worth the price.  It has a distinctly distressed oak finish with a very standard oak coloring that one would expect.  It was super-easy to put together.  The allen (sp?) wrench provided was all you need to assemble.  The box is very heavy, so beware.  Your delivery person won't love you and you'll need a very strong person to get it from your door to the location where it will be assembled.