The table is very cool. The color is like a med to light brown with a greyish cast. The surface is rough but shows off the character of the wood. It seems to have some kind of protective finish on it, but I'm not sure. It opens easily to lift up the leaf to extend it and can be done by yourself. You could easily sit 10 people, maybe 12 if you're friendly with your guests. Unfortunately the first table arrive broken, but Wayfair's awesome customer support had a new one delivered within a couple of weeks. I gave it four stars because the hinges that are used on the leaf which are super heavy, are not very strong and cause a bit of wear on the surface of the leaf. My contractor replaced the hinges with ones that won't wiggle, much better! Also be aware that the pedestal will not allow a chair to be pushed under the table very far. I have eight chairs and can only put two on each side, and place two on each end.

It is amazing. A great size for smaller spaces