I was very hesitant to order this wine cabinet due to a few 1-star reviews posted here on Amazon. After several days of consideration, I finally gave in and clicked the buy-now button. Within 48 hours, a refrigerator-sized box was waiting outside my door. After assembling the wine cabinet, I was very impressed with its quality and appearance.
Assembly/Construction: The cabinet arrives in an extremely-well packaged box containing approximately 25 individual pieces(including screws, washers, etc). Each piece is individually wrapped, and aside from a few very minor nicks and dings, everything was in good-shape. It was evident that the cabinet came directly from a manufacturing facility - meaning the pieces had some flakes of saw dust, specks of styrofoam, and assorted debris covering them. I highly recommend you use a soft towel to individually wipe each piece as you assemble the cabinet. From start to finish, it took me about 20 minutes to assemble the entire cabinet. Aside from the materials included in the box, the only tools I needed were a simple flat-head screwdriver, and a towel. It came with an assembly-diagram and was very easy to put-together.
Appearance/Quality: This cabinet is absolutely beautiful. After reading a few negative comments, I was afraid it would look flimsy and cheap. It does not. The columns are each made from solid pieces of wood. The saucer-shaped bases are made from extremely well constructed particle board. The finish is smooth and beautiful. It feels solid, and the coloration is exactly as it appears in the picture. It's evident that a lot of time and effort went into the manufacturing of each and every component of this wine cabinet. The artwork on the globe, and around the boarders of the cylindrical surfaces is contained on a sort of printed paper -almost like a sticker. When I read about the sticker-decals in other reviews I became nervous, but when I saw them in person I was re-leaved. They look great! The sticker-artwork on the wooden bases appears to be one single, large sticker. It appears to have a clear-coat of varnish over it, causing it to be flush with the wood. As I slide my finger over the boarder, I can't feel a bump at the edge. It's one smooth surface. As other reviewers have mentioned, the artwork on top of the globe is also comprised of series of stickers. In total, there are approximately 12. Again, the stickers aren't obvious. Reading the word "stickers" in other reviews immediately made me feel skeptical. I was thinking, "oh that's going to look ridiculous." In fact, the word sticker isn't really the appropriate term. It looks more like printed paneling. Each panel is flush and smooth, and all of them match together seamlessly. It's extremely well constructed. There is one place where the artwork doesn't match-up perfectly. Think of each panel as a separate piece. The right-edge of the first panel matches the left-edge of the second panel. Two matches to three, three matches with four, and so-on. The very last panel's art doesn't match perfectly with the first panel's art, so there is a slight mis-match in one seam of the globe. This isn't really a problem, as one reviewer mentioned - if you're OCD you can turn the globe and hide the seam. Despite a few minor imperfections like this, the wine cabinet truly is a piece of functional art. It's beautiful from across the room, and just as beautiful up-close.
Functionality: Before receiving the wine cabinet, I wasn't sure if it would be fully functional. I thought maybe it would be too flimsy to actually use, or perhaps the hinge on the top wouldn't work properly. My fears turned out to be without merit. It's completely functional. I use the cabinet every day. It's very spacious. Stored within the cabinet(under the globe) I have: 8x whiskey glasses (rocks glasses), 6x wine glasses, 1x 34-ounce decanter, 1x bottle of scotch, 1x bottle of rum, 1x bottle of wine. The shelf below the globe is large enough to hold a 6x half-gallon jugs. Looking at the pictures, I didn't realize the storage space was as large as it truly is. Again, I'm very pleased with the aesthetics and functionality of the wine cabinet.
Overall Impressions: I am extremely pleased with my purchase. The wine cabinet looks elegant, beautiful, classy, and it really elevates the aesthetics of my entire living room. Had this cost one thousand dollars, I would have been disappointed, but the fact is: it cost one hundred dollars including shipping. You can't expect much for a hundred bucks these days - so after having seen the construction quality of this cabinet I am very surprised by the negative reviews. Did those people expect the globe to be hand-painted for a hundred bucks? Are they crazy or just out-of-touch with reality? The fact is: this wine cabinet is lovely and well-built for the price. 5-stars!
| Item Weight | 21.4 pounds |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 4.03 x 4.03 x 5.89 inches |
| Item model number | eHomeProducts - Globe bar |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
