No assembly required. The concave slat seat with tapered legs ensures comfort and stability when an extra seat is necessary for dressing or holding our decorative pillows while we sleep. We chose to finish in the Smoke Gray, a dark pewter finish which complements the v-weave woven rattan items and pairs well with the Hatteras Gray finish on most of the Cypress Point case goods. This bench works well under the Montera Travertine Console as well.