The assembled shelves look exactly like the picture, down to the dark veneer and sheen.  The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because the veneer easily cracked in a couple places during assembly.  The cracks are hidden by the shelves once they are installed, so it wasn't a deal breaker.  Be careful during assembly because the veneer does scratch easily.  During the early steps of assembly, the parts will look slanted and almost as if they do not fit correctly.  Keep going.  Once the whole unit is fully assembled and settled, everything will fit together just right.