This is a nice little bench. It's solid wood. The hardware seems sturdy, very easy to assemble. I purchased it because the metal chair I originally purchased had a leg that started breaking after about 6 months. This seems MUCH stronger and will hopefully last awhile. I also like that it's backless because I can scoot it completely under my vanity. I was reluctant to get a backless seat at first, but after taking notice while I get ready, I discovered that I never actually utilize the back of my current chair.

I chose to stain it, rather than paint it. I'm not sure the species of wood (maybe it said in the product description?) but I'd consider it mid-grade, as far the finish is concerned. There are a few areas where the stain didn't take-up evenly, but it's not that noticeable. The seat part is cushy and has a neutral microfiber cover. Another reviewer mentioned that their seat only had a liner and required further upholstering, that's not the case with mine. It's a tan microfiber cover. You could easily put a different cover on it, as you have to unscrew it from the frame for staining/painting, but it's such a neutral cover that you shouldn't need to. I applied a coat of scotchguard spray to the fabric to protect from make-up, hairspray, etc. I only gave it 4 stars because of some of the labor involved for staining. But, at least it gives you flexibility to give it whatever finish you want so that it coordinates with your existing decor (the stain I had on hand was a perfect match with the woodwork in my bathroom).

I bought this vanity bench thinking that I would paint the "unfinished" wood portion of the bench but when I got it I loved the appearance of the "unfishished" wood. It matches the "barn door" and cabinets my husband built for our newly renovated master bathroom perfectly. I also planned on reupholstering the seat cushion but again was pleasantly surprised that the neutral color would work fine as is. I may decide to add some fun color in the future but it's not at all necessary. The bench is nice and sturdy but I did pick up a tip from another reviewer ... it comes with an allenwrench to retighten as needed and per the other reviewers suggestion, I taped it to the underside of the bench so it's at my finger tips when I need it. My only "minor" disappointment is the height, I had a hard time finding a taller vanity stool/bench and I wish this was an inch or two taller but overall I'm very happy with my purchase and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

This vanity stool by International Concepts is pretty, and a good height (18" high) for my Posh Pollen makeup desk (also bought through Amazon). It went together quickly and feels sturdy. I had originally purchased the Espresso color which was way too dark to match the walnut brown of the desk, so I returned it and bought the Unfinished wood option and stained it myself. This stool could also be left unfinished, or painted - it's so versatile and easy to customize! The seat cushion was a grayish microsuede which didn't coordinate with my bedroom decor, so I reupholstered it in a teal velvet (easily done - just remove 4 screws). It came out lovely - I'm so pleased.
The only issue I had was that one of the washers to help attach the legs was missing - I'm just hoping that it was a redundant measure and doesn't affect the tightness of the hardware.

I purchased this bench to keep by my front door to sit while putting on/taking off shoes. It seems very sturdy, was extremely easy to assemble and the colors are very neutral. The only thing I don't like is it makes a creaking noise when someone sits on it. Other than that I like it.

This is the third unfinished piece I've purchased from this company. They really are 100% solid hardwood, there is zero particle board used in any of their stuff that I've seen. Rubberwood seems to react similarly to maple as far as stain and treatments goes.

I will say, I did NOT sand any of these pieces before finishing... if I had it to do over, I would. There's small imperfections that could have been avoided had I taken the time to do additional sanding. I will also say this stool needed sanding much more than the other pieces, I purchased a 'used' stool (probably open box/return) by the way.

The entire cushion is pretty cheap, even re-covering won't fix the fact that it's pretty hard on ya booty.

I'm using this stool for my piano, it is a good height for me (I'm 6'4").