It was my first time staining furniture and I really took my time with the table. It turned out pretty good considering I had never done it before. It was easy to put together and looks nice. I took off one star though because I wish I had just bought a cheaper set that was already stained (I got some chairs too), even if it wasn't real wood. It was just not worth the hassle. But this table is fine if you're used to doing this kind of work.