I'm very disappointed in these shelves.  They are more of a dark gray than a black espresso. The edges are already chipped right out of the box and the finish has the imprint of the Bubble Cushion it came in. They are the exact size and design I wanted so I hate to return them but I don't know if I can fix the chips on the edge and cover it adequately with a coat of black paint. I may decide to return them. For the price I suppose I should have expected this low quality.