When I came home my husband had already put it together by himself. He is tall and handy, but his one complaint was there were no directions. Base is extremely sturdy and attractive. Really like how you can adjust exactly how you want it to hang. I was worried it wouldnt be quite tall enough as we have 9 ceilings and I wanted drama, but its perfect for looks and light. Great for slightly more than mood lighting and for reading as you can easily swing the pole to reposition the shade.