The color is as expected. It was securely packaged, yet there were several scratches on the shelves, one corner defective, visible excess glue in a couple of spots, and several spots on edges of shelves that were not properly stained. None of the defects appear to be damage as a result of shipping. Rather, they appear to have been packed that way, which is a little disappointing. The biggest issue is that a few of the predrilled holes are slight to large for the hardware provided. Therefore, the assembled shelf is extremely wobbly and crooked. It does come with hardware to bolt the shelf directly to the wall, but it is not practical or stable as the shelf still easily moved from side-to-side. I would not recommend for a household with small children. It shifted under the weight of our three pound kitten when she jumped onto the middle shelf from the floor. It’s not worth the trouble of sending back.