The bed arrived in 2 boxes and a ton of pieces. My husband is quite experienced in assembling furniture and it took him about 3 1/2 hours. He said for less experienced folks to expect 5 hours. Just organizing all the parts took a good chunk of time.  He said that the slats that hold the mattress are ok for our use as a guest bedroom at our lake house, but that a child jumping on the bed would likely break the slats. So get reinforcement if this is for a kid's room. Other than the slats, the bed feels very sturdy. I really like the look and am very pleased with the storage. I have a spare set of linens in one side with plenty of room leftover. The color is off white and the bed is a fantastic value for the cost. Highly recommend.