first of all, i got the gray one (figured that was important because a lot of the negative reviews are for the blue color)

this bed is beautiful once its built, but its a challenge getting there. putting the drawers together was the hardest part because the fabric from the upholstered side kept getting stuck between the pieces, and theres no way to moveremove it. aside from that headache (for each drawer), assembly was pretty straightforward, but youll definitely want two people. one of the small dowels was broken, but that didnt impact assembly. it took us about two hours to assemble. there is a gap between my 10 mattress and the headboard, but i expected that based on other reviews. it seems very sturdy now that its fully assembled.