It's okay if you put it up against a wall. If you don't you have this extremely cheap and ugly fabric showing. I can't imagine it'd cost much more to have matching fabric on the visible back side of the product.

I'm going to try draping a blanket over it or something, rather than dealing with the hassle of a return.

It goes together easy enough, as others have mentioned sitting in the middle is rough. It's okay for just over $200, but honestly? Save your money and buy something nicer if you plan on using it a lot.