Hmm....where do I start with this table. It's heavy, and made of real wood, which is why I chose this. I do like the look of the shelf underneath and the style is great for me. I knew from other reviews that it was "rustic" and rough. Which I was okay with from a style standpoint, but my daughter actually got splinters from the table on TWO different occasions while playing a game on it. Maybe she needs to be more careful but you shouldn't really have to be afraid of getting splinters from a piece of furniture in my opinion. It's genuine wood, no doubt about it. It's rustic, for sure. It even has a big dent in it, that has you thinking "is that supposed to be there? or is that damaged?"...but I guess that's what you get when you go 'rustic'.  I would not have bought it if I saw it in person and could have felt it, but I guess I prefer the real wood over a plastic-y veneer.