The color of the chairs in the picture - definitely not dark taupe. It would be a good idea to show the actual color in the picture.  Dark taupe is a brownish/gray.  This is a hardwood frame - great construction, and the upholstery button are well installed.  These are great sturdy chairs and it does meet our standards. It took 1.5 hours only because it requires the use of the allen wrench which comes with the hardware. But definitely requires two people to assemble.