For 1, it doesn't come with assembly instructions. They're electronic. For 2, the gray isn't really as ashy as the photo which was disappointing. For 3, the box comes shoodily packed, so inspect everything you can to make sure its not broken.

Overall though, the quality is pretty good, the wood shelves are sturdy and the frame doesn't seem flimsy. It also comes with wall anchors, which is pretty cool so it doesn't topple! I will say, though, when mine arrived I was missing literally all of the hardware/parts for assembly. I called Wayfair Customer Service and they were so wonderful and apologetic that this happened. They sent replacement parts for no charge, so their customer service is definitely why I added an extra star.