I needed new stools for my island, took a while to find these. A friend already purched so i knew the quality. They took about 30 min to assemble once i did one. The swivel is key in this style. the gray color is a bit darker than i anticipated but i like just the same. I have a transitional style kitchen and these stools fit perfectly. I was sold on the wood back and liked the idea of a bit more support on the back. I am hoping they dont get marked up on the wood edges if someone turns to touch the marble island. I feel the wood may be a bit less durable than a metal edge and could show scratches. All the directions were easy to follow except for the round plate that attatches the base and seat together- its depicted wout a good visual to see what end goes face down. other than that i love so far !