This is a beautiful, unique conversation piece. Im giving 3 stars because as other reviewers stated, it is easy to assemble up to the point when attaching the seat.  2 of the screw holes are not pre-drilled and I worried about proper alignment. The angle to put the screws in is awkward and difficult to tighten, so the screws kept coming out. I bought a short stubby screwdriver (see pic) and was able to finish the job with another person holding it in place. Terrible instructions. Terrible assembly design. Lastly, it is pretty heavy and I find myself reaching for a lighter stool to reach high places instead of carrying this heavy one. But its pretty.