I really like the lamp.  The black color is what I needed  but not always easy to find.  I was also very pleased with the quality of the lamp and the style (not too plain but not too formal) for the environment.  I would have given it five stars, but the lampshade threw the look off for me.  I replaced it with a pleated, tapered shade and it looks terrific, very rich  and perfectly balanced.  Even my husband, who generally has no opinion re- decorating touches, remarked on what a positive difference the shade-change made, not to just the lamp, but to the ambiance of the room.