The tables came ready to use out of the box. No assembly was required and they look fantastic. They have a very rustic feel, which I love. These tables are by far the best investment I've made in quite a while. The only thing that might be improved is the height differential. Once nested, they don't allow for any clearance in order to get them out without taking the top one off vertically. We have them separated anyhow, so that is not really a problem for us.