Ill-fitting hardware makes it unstable

The brass hardware provided for attaching the legs to the seat, and the screws for attaching the shelf are all very ill-fitting. At full tightness, there's easily more than 1/4" sticking out, meaning that the legs can never be firmly attached. There's way too much space for washers, you'd need 3-4 of them. On the legs, because the legs are at an angle and not perpendicular to the shelf, the screws for holding the shelf stick up in a way that could snag towels or clothing. The wood should have been counter-sunk. Yes, you can over-tighten and try to compress the wood, but that could result in splintering. With the right hardware and better woodworking preparation, this could be a really good unit. I'm not going to return it, because I can go to the hardware store and find replacement bolts/screws that should be fine. But most folks will probably (and justifiably) return it rather than making extra efforts to compensate for their inadequate materials.

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