Fantastic dining set, exactly what we wanted. It is a nice color of brown, not too dark, not too light. :) We leave the leaf open (makes the table oval) to make room for a nice centerpiece. With leaf in, table is round. Says it has optional assembly but I was told because it comes from a different and larger warehouse it's not an option. Table was easy for my nephews to do. Chairs were already assembled as other reviewers said. Someone mentioned scratches, but they are actually part of the "distressed" look of the set. They blend right in with the table and do not look bad. Very happy with it!