I had originally given this a 3 star review, as there were 2 issues with the shelf. Both have fixed themselves over time.

The first issue was the smell. I assembled it inside, and thought I was going to die from the fumes. They were horrific. It was like the shelves were covered in polyurethane and immediately shipped to me. A week with the windows open and an air purifier going, and the smell has dissipated.

The second issue is the top shelf was bowing (upward). It was not straight. The wood has seemed to settle, and is now straight. None of the shelves are bowing under the weight of all my cookbooks either (I have a lot, since I used to work as a chef).

Long story short, it had its initial flaw; however, it looks amazing, was a FANTASTIC price/value, and brings in a lot of compliments.