Very sturdy bed. The dark charcoal color is a good contrast to my lighter grey walls. Installation took about 2 hours with 2 people. At first, I thought the hydraulic lift system was broken because it would not lower by itself without the mattress. But you needed to put on the mattress on 1st and then screw in the hydraulic lift system. With enough weight, the lift system will lower with a gentle push. Overall a great platform bed!