Def a minimalist design and easy to put together with a bit of patience. One of the supports came with gouge under the protective wrap, but was quickly replaced by DHP via their online site (no questions asked...they just shipped a replacement).
Its a low gloss dark gray, not metallic--and the bed supports are metal too (at first I thought they were springs). A second set of hands would be good for assembly, but it's not necessary. Took me 40 minutes. It's easier to assemble than IKEA furniture, but likely not the same quality (at least the nicer stuff). Standard twin size mattress fits perfectly. I purchased a 10" mattress, which may be a bit tall if your going to use this as a couch (maybe 7" would be the best). It sits quite tall--so I suspect there is a trundle bed that can be put under it.