This bed is exactly what I was looking for - dark gray, velvety, and sleek.  It has a very sturdy metal base and the sideboards are simply for show.  It seems like they could use slightly different hardware to make sure that the sideboards all match up exactly (i saw similar comments on other reviews), but overall it's not noticeable that they aren't exact.  One thing I wish I would have known is that the sides are not deep enough to hide the box spring - need a box spring cover with this bed.  Overall easy to assemble and lovely!