This is a HEAVY desk. Something I was surprised by considering the price. I had trouble getting it into the house because of the weight. The finish feels like wood and the color is very pretty. It took me about 2.5 hours to assemble by myself with just a Phillips head screwdriver. The assembly instructions are easy to follow and thorough. I gave it 4 stars because a small part of the finish is scraped off (luckily on an area that's hidden) and one of my drawer handles was bent when I opened the box so it falls out.