We didn't see any reviews for this table so we were reluctant to buy it.  The idea is excellent and we knew it would make for a unique piece of furniture. And it had been really difficult finding a coffee table that is less than 48" wide.  This fit our needs for size but I was not crazy about not having a shelf to put magazines, remote controls,etc. It came quickly and assembly was tricky but my husband figured it out and it was set up in no time. We've put our wedding albums in it in lieu of a terrarium for now and were thinking we could change it seasonally to match up with upcoming holidays!  I'm not missing the shelf as much as I expected.