My daughter and I bought the nightstand and dresser and decided to put the nightstand together first. It needs to be completely assembled but the instructions were clear after we familiarized ourselves with them. For the most part the instructions are pictures.  The hardware was packaged separately for each drawer and the cabinet. The screws and fasteners fit perfectly into all the pre drilled holes and the pieces lined up great. The back is cardboard and so are the drawer bottoms but it looks like they will be sturdy if not overloaded.  The finish is a nice warm gray.  We are very happy with this purchase