It is as expected, a cheap desk to get by until I can afford something better. It looks decent but not amazing. There are some nicks in the "wood" before ever touching it but I'm happy with it overall. When I made this purchase I saw a review that said definitely don't try to build this yourself..... that guy was a wimp, I was able to build it myself. It would be helpful to have another set of hands to flip it over when you're done but you can manage, I believe in you! Looks just like the photo when done. Not a bad buy.