Beautiful bed and easy to assemble (did it within an hour or so on my own). Purchased the grey-ish color and it is not too dark and not too light. It is not a solid grey and has a bit of texture to it so it looks more luxurious. There is already great support without a box spring since there are so many wood slats as the base. But there will be a gap if you do not use a tall enough of a mattress or a box spring/mattress combo. I got the full size bed and there needs roughly about a 14" mattress or box spring/mattress combo to cover the gap and ensure that nothing can fall through. Overall, fabulous bed for a great price.