It was exactly what I expected. Instructions seemed straight forward - especially if you have ever assembled your own furniture in the past. The pieces werent labeled as indicated in the instructions but were easy to figure out. Assembly took 2 hours from unboxing to installing on the wall. There were a couple surface scratches but they send a touch up marker with product so nothing noticeable. I love it! I was most impressed with Wayfair.ca though as we ordered the headboard and received it a week BEFORE the estimated delivery - talk about fast shipping!!!