Made of particle board with a Formica-like veneer. The white is very white and I’m going to paint mine to match my walls because it will be acting as a room divider on an existing half-wall. The directions are just ok...typical of things you order online. All my hardware was present but I got two number 7 boards instead of a number 1 and a 7. Fortunately, I could use the extra number 7 board in place of the number 1. The “octagon”-like part of the shelf is a little tricky to get together so the joints look nice but I think mine will look ok (I’m still in the process of assembling the entire bookcase but almost done). This thing is VERY heavy and requires an extra person to move it. Oh, and you’ll definitely want something more than a regular screwdriver to get all the screws in.