For the price, it's actually a really sturdy piece of furniture.  I had an old tube television that weighed about 20-25lbs sitting on it and it held the weight until I received my flat screen.  It's fairly easy to assemble and the project is able to be completed in about 1hr with one person.  The color is very close to black and it matches the chairs in my dining room perfectly for a nice transition of decor from one room to the next.  Overall, very happy with the purchase. Can't wait to stage it with cute little knickknacks to make it "me!"  :)