Crosley Furniture LaFayette Buffet Server and Sideboard Cabinet with Wine Storage

Poor reviews almost kept me from buying this product but I have been very pleased with it. The design is very good, the workmanship is excellent and the finish is excellent. It was the best price I found for a home buffet server. I put a granite top on it and made a bar out of it. Everyone is suprised that it is a do-it-yourself assembled kit. It took about 4 hours to assemble the buffet but parts fit well and the instructions were generally very good. I have quite a bit of experience in assembling furniture kits but if you follow the instructions closely, I believe most do-it-yourselfers could put it together. However, a couple of instructions that could be improved are that at step 2 make sure the long end of item H matches the long end of item D or you will have to remove and turn it over. More importantly, when you attach the doors to the cabinet (step 13) make sure the metal plates on the door match the door catches or you will have to cut off the the hinge pin and turn the door over to make them match.

I'm not sure why other reviews claimed this was so difficult to assemble. I was able to do it myself with no problems, and I'm no carpenter I assure you. I fact, the hardest part was getting the [*] thing out of the box, though I should note it did take me around 3 hours to complete. A few pieces were scratched and one door hinge was missing, all of which can be and are being replaced, but other than that this is a very aesthetically and functionally pleasing piece of furniture.