Overall I'm very happy with this purchase. We didn't want to spend too much on a bench and I'm happy I didn't have to compromise on the look and quality. Bought this bench in Natural finish and it looks just like the pics on the site. There are some knots in the wood that appear to have been filled with wood filler, but that is expected when you are buying a wood product. The stain is pretty consistent and no noticeable rough spots. Seems pretty sturdy, but it's a challenge to assemble by yourself. I failed at assembling it alone and had to recruit a second set of hands to finish the job so I didn't break anything.