First of all, this is SO easy to assemble. I am a woman who loves to do things without help, but usually my husband has to step in and bail me out. Not with this- I did the whole thing myself while he was at work. It was so easy. The manual is very clear, the pieces are easy to figure out, and what I really loved is that they tell you how long each step should take... and each step took me half the time the manual said. Secondly, this is beautiful. I got the dark wood color- espresso. It looks expensive, even though it isn't. Lastly, this works perfectly for what I needed it to do- it sits in our dining room, next to our door out to the garage, and my 3 little girls keep their shoes in the 3 cubbies. It holds 3 pairs of their shoes across each cubby (so 9 pairs total); there is room to put a fourth pair sideways toe-to-heel in front of the others (making it 12 pairs total). The top is sturdy- all 3 have been sitting on it. I also sat on it and it seems like it will hold up really well; it's not shaky or cheap feeling. This is exactly what I have been looking for!