It is as nice as the picture shows, there are no imperfections when you get it up close.   From the time we started opening the cardboard boxes to the time we finished was a little less than an hour.   I would put it together and my wife followed tightening the screws.   Assembly was simple and no adjustments were needed to get parts to fit even though some were a little tight.   In case it isn't clear in the picture, it is a gray metallic paint on the metal that looks quite clean.