Sauder Barrister Lane Bookcase - Wooden Bookshelf with Iron Oak Finish for Home Office, Living Room & Library Storage

We are no strangers to flat pack furniture and Sauder has been our go-to for years. We have a pair of dressers from them that we purchased 20 years ago that have held up beautifully. So when I was looking for the 'perfect' bookshelf that wouldn't break the bank and saw a Sauder product that I liked, I was comfortable purchasing it.Now, if you are looking for heirloom quality, solid wooden furniture...well, you probably wouldn't be looking on Amazon. But if you just want a decent flat-pack that will look nice and hold up well, I don't think you can go wrong with this one.First of all, the wood. Yes, this is MDF (I think some of the edge pieces might be solid). It looks beautiful though. The veneer finish is gorgeous and from a distance most people are probably going to think it's real. I am incredibly happy with the color that we picked out. Lots of wood grain detail. If the longevity of our dressers is any indication, I'm not worried about it peeling.Assembly. My husband is pretty good at putting things together and he DID have to concentrate quite hard on the instructions (he actually READ the instructions, which might be a first). So I think that slow and steady is the key. It went together well, there are just a LOT of screws and tiny pieces. Took maybe an hour and a half? Everything is labeled nicely and the hardware comes with the different pieces separated out in a blister pack, so that you don't have to sort all your pieces first. We panicked at first thinking the backing was missing...it wasn't, it's just folded up into 3rds so it looks like a regular board at first glance.Tools used: an electric drill and a hammer.The only part that looks a little cheap is the backing. Which is true of basically any non-solid wood furniture piece. It's a very thin wood, almost cardboard, and the only part where the wood design is more obviously a sticker. Once installed though it is pretty unnoticeable. It comes in 2 pieces and you WILL have to pound about 30 million tiny nails to get it to lay flush against the back. Now, here's my hack if you just really hate the backing and want to do something a little different...I've done this on another bookshelf. Go to your local hardware store and purchase some beadboard. You'll probably need two or more pieces and you will either need the tools to cut them yourself or you will need to have the store cut them to measure for you. Take them home. Paint them a fun color. Using the tiny nails, nail them on to the back just like you would the original backing. (Make sure you measure so that the seams between multiple pieces meet where they are hidden by a shelf.) There. You have a back that is sturdier than the original, and also fun. (Honestly the sky's the limit. Instead of beadboard with the 'stripes' you could get a solid piece and cover it with wallpaper.)Anyhow, I am extremely happy with this piece. It seems sturdy and solid. My husband is a little concerned about moving it around and says 'don't lift from the top' because he doesn't think it will hold up to that.' So, I guess build it in the room in which you plan on using it.