We got the polished nickel finish.  The fixture is perfect for what we were looking for, it has simple clean lines but is not at all flimsy.  It is a significant piece that fills the space without overwhelming it.  So far all that have seen it have commented how pretty it is.  We are using it in our stairwell.

Regarding assembly, we had professionals assemble and install the fixture.  They seemed to think it was straight forward and simple.