Showed up in one piece, in the sense that nothing was broken - that's always a plus - but assembly is required. Nothing too awful, but it's gonna take you at least 15-20 minutes. I got the brown, stained wood version. The wood is made to look distressed, which was a slight surprise, but a welcome one. Gives it that antique feel that makes me almost imagine that I got this handed down to me by my grandma. Inside there is a surprising amount of room! The pictures don't do it justice. Taller than I expected, and lighter! More pleasant surprises! I was expecting this 60lbs nightmare that I'd have to drag up two flights of stairs and while the box is a little awkwardly shaped, it wasn't difficult to lift. It's camouflaged pretty well that only those in the know are going to realize what it is...  All in all, I'm very happy with this bad boy!