"Ingenious" is the word my husband used as he commented on how this bed is put together. It took him about 30 minutes, using the tool enclosed and following the detailed pictures. When finished, our king mattress slipped beautifully into the recessed spot for it on the platform. It looks marvelous. I don't think there could be a better looking platform for the price! The reason for not giving 5 stars: the box was delivered damaged and one of the feet (plastic) was crushed beyond repair. I immediately called the manufacturer, whose number and contact information was clearly found in the packaging. A new set of feet was immediately sent out to us (all four, not just one to replace the one damaged). It would be nice to have an option to choose wooden feet - even at a higher cost. Having said this, the platform, and the padding on the side panels look wonderful, as does the feet once they are on he bed. We can recommend this bed both for its look and its sturdiness. We would buy it again!