I was worried by other reviews about how hard it would be to put this together. But my worries were unfounded. The directions were clear and everything was clearly labeled. The advice I would give is to read the directions carefully so that the pre-drilled holes are facing the right direction. I was able to set it up by myself with two toddlers “helping” in about 45 minutes. Having two adults would be a big bonus as the desk is quite heavy. This is not particle board, but solid wood. The top of the desk is not perfectly smooth, but has the natural grooves of the wood. This isn’t a problem unless you really need a perfectly smooth surface for your work. I love the desk. It is beautiful.