We love the new bench, we keep if at the end of the bed and store a few things in it. I use it all the time for sitting on while I put my shoes on or take them off. We also use it so set clothes on it as they are being sorted after cleansing.
This color is NOT brown, it is black by every view of black. At best you can say it is one shad light of blackest black. If you want a brown bench like we wanted, you will need to find another bench. The black worked for us because our wood floor is dark drown and has some black highlights, so it pulls the bed color of dark brown into this black bench color.