This item is a stylish touch to a small and compact studio with limited cabinet space. Previous reviews noted a flimsy, slatted top shelf, and I agree. However, I expected that part to be mostly for show and not general utility. Useful for a few small books or decoration - not useful for anything of real weight. This was very easy to put together. One screw hole on the very last step didn't align properly, but I deviated from instructions and made it work. Setup took about an hour, including me having to restart the whole thing twice due to my careless interpretation of the diagram and doing the whole thing quietly by myself at night.