Brown slightly rough surface. Nice for teen boy room. Easy to put together.  Not wobbly and seems quite sturdy. We have it on lowest setting and we are using both a boxspring and mattress. I like that some of the headboard still shows above pillows. My mattress is NOT a thick one or pillow top so that could affect the look.  Metal is not super high quality but I think it looks good and should do the job just fine. Great price and quick delivery.