I LOVE the way these bar stools look at our kitchen island. I was really hesitant to buy them because a lot of the metal stools in this style that I had seen looked shiny and cheap. I think that these look great. It is true that up close you can tell that the seats are faux wood. That being said, I really like these seats compared to the all-metal versions. They look great against our kitchen cabinets. I ordered four bar stools - they shipped quickly and arrived in two medium-sized packages. So glad that I purchased them.