I LOVE this ottoman! I put it together myself and didn't break a nail. It was really easy to assemble. One of the reasons I wanted this particular ottoman is the space available under the top. That shelf under the ottoman is engineering genius because you can have your coffee, snacks, book, etc. under there and not worry about kicking anything over when you put your feet up! The space below leaves all of the ottoman's surface available for foot room, and I love it!