Product is fairly sturdy but giving it a three-star as it was chipped in many places. Assembly instructions was fairly simple and it took my husband about an hour and a half to put it together. We got this as a study table for our middle schooler, and it works well for her needs. The color is not pitch black but a very dark brown. It has a shelf which can be used to stack books or a put a table lamp. Overall a decent product but just wish that the quality was slightly better.