It is a high grade pressboard, not wood. But for the price, I guess this is what you would expect. I'd need to spend around $500 to get real wood. My husband put it together in about 30 minutes. The color is darker than shown in the picture--basically a very dark brown and almost black. I love the size!!! Four people could sit on the floor and eat! The height is ideal for this, so if you have a bunch of kiddos over, they have a perfect "dinner table" while the adults eat in chairs at a real table. It was a good purchase and I love the style. Contemporary but still classic.