Wood is a nice warm color, doesn't look too fakey, has a shallow scraped texture to it - I guess they were trying to make it look like pecky cypress but the scrapes are too uniform & numerous for that. Not what I would prefer but also not a deal breaker. Texture is only on top which is varnished so it won't snag things. Metal looks cheapy up close but so was the price so that makes sense. Arrived quickly & well packed. Easy to assemble. Looks & feels sturdy.