Bought this desk for my own personal use and told my kiddos hands off as the finish is a not very durable lacquer.  But it was what I wanted for my space and so I purchased a clear desk pad and have not had any issues since it has protected the finish.  I was undecided on whether or not to purchase this desk since it does not have any built in storage or drawers, but I bought a tray to use on top and not only does it keep my space uncluttered, but it lends itself to the clean, modern look I was going for.  Very easy to assemble and was packaged securely.