Very sturdy Parawood (a. k. a: Rubberwood, Asian oak). Easy to assemble, symmetrical and we'll built. I read through several articles on which coatings to use with parawood and it seems that with the exception of paint blotchiness can be expected. I used a stain + polyurethane (2-in-1) and applied two coats lightly sanding in between and final coat with a 3M nylon no-scratch (blue) pad. There is minimal blotching.If you use poly, shellac, lacquer expect the grain to raise noticeably (by feel) between coats.