I was surprised at how much time it took to put this piece together.  Nothing was pre-assembled.  I was also not expecting it to be so much particle board and laminate and so little hardwood.  The piece is definetley not high quality furniture, but it looks good.  We have gotten many compliments on how nice it looks and how it adds flare to our existing kitchen furniture.  It also looks as though it is high quality.  I am sure that no one would guess how little this piece cost or how much of it is cheaper material.  Overall, I'd say that it is well worth the money!