Nice nickel finish. A little awkward to fit together as the base is quite heavy - helpful to use two people. Lamp shade is more off white than white. Tricky to get the lamp to stand straight - make sure the first horizontal arm extends out away from the base (opposite to the picture and somewhat counterintuitive). Even with the heavy base they are a little tippy. Ours is placed in a corner behind a chair so it was not too much of a concern. Placing something heavy on top of the base would help prevent accidental knock overs.