Was not sure how to word this review since the original mantle was was warped and twisted upon arrival. But, low and behold Wayfair made it right without any worry. If we take away the warp and twist, this is a nice piece of wood and looks great above the fireplace. Yes, this is real wood. The finish is true to the color representations on-line. Due to the size and weight I had it installed by our carpenter and it came out great, so I can't comment on the installation instructions.