I like the mantel shelf. The length and stain color are perfect. (I ordered the dark stain color) It is very rustic though. The only thing that I don't like is the boards aren't even on the front. Some stick out more than others.  I expected that on the ends,  you could tell that in the pictures online. But I thought the front of the mantle would be flat.  But I think that's the way it supposed to look. I decided to keep it since the size and color were such a good fit. It's not solid wood but it is very heavy and nicely made.