I love the style and size of the table.  Fortunately I did not have any of the splitting issues when I put it together.  It went together well and is nice and sturdy.  The reason I gave it four stars is because the color is completely different from the photos.  The wood has a great deal of grey in the finish and the pieces I wanted it to go with are more of a honey color.  I placed the table in another room and it works well there so I am able to keep it (but I do wish it looked like the photos!).