"I fell in love with this the first time I saw it, and after a period of about two months of looking for the perfect dining room table, finally decided that my first impression of this piece of furniture was spot on. I ordered it one week and it was delivered the next. It is dark but not at all heavy, and while it is a refined and elegant piece, it also has areas where the grain is more clearly visible--so everyone knows that this is a genuine, original, piece of wood. My one gripe is that the leaf has a small defect which we didn't notice until after the movers had left. There is a chip out of the top about 1/2 inch X 1/2 inch square. It isn't very noticeable, and my husband pointed out that if the flaw is already present, we will be much less stressed when the next one occurs. I should have taken better care with examining the leaf (as I did with the rest of the table) before accepting delivery. All in all, a great piece of furniture that will hopefully stay in the family for many years to come."