It's gorgeous! My husband and I were a little skeptical about buying online but we are so happy we did. It's very substantial and the wood looks beautiful. It has a varied grain with a dark rich color (not as light as the picture) but would be in more direct light. It was actually pretty easy to put together. I put it together myself before my husband come home and it only took about 1-2 hours. Not sure but I watched a movie in that time. Now, I know I shouldn't care about this, but everyone who has seen it loves it. It's the perfect fit for our 1950s ranch house but it isn't a direct from the 1950s replica. It's quite timeless!