I purchased both colors (wheat & zebrawood)of the Varaluz "Lofty" light fixture in order to compare wood & metal colors. The wheat has a more amber undertone like old oak or aged pine, finer grained. The zebrawood is close to a jacobean color stain with ebony & is heavily grained. I am keeping the zebrawood, as it more closely matches the color scheme in the room. In the Varaluz advertisement it states Wheat & steel finish for 1 color, & the darker wood color is listed just as 'steel finish', but on the Varaluz box it is called 'Zebrawood'. I do not suspect it is actual zebra wood, but is named as such because it has a heavy grain pattern.Enlarge the pics, they show measurements, colors of various metals in 2 lighting sources, the inside of the back & the mounting plate.The fixtures can be mounted with bulbs facing up or down.The metal color of BOTH fixtures is EXACTLY the same. The metal is steel, but coated with what appears to be a metallic powder coat then clear enamel like on top. The color is closest in hue to the color of gray-silver duct tape. I suspect this metallic coating with clear enamel over is used to even out inconsistancies in tone of the recycled steel & to protect against rust. The pics from Varaluz, which I enlarged, appeared to be untreated (bare) steel. These fixtures are NOT bare metal. The protective enamel clear coating appears high quality, though I was expecting bare stainless from the pics. Bare steel does have a different sheen & color. Although I was disappointed it was not bare stainless steel, this was not a deal breaker for me. These are high quality steel fixtures. They are robust in weight, sturdily built, not flimsy, the coating provides corrosion protection & will be easier to clean/maintain than bare metal.1st pic is the inside/rear of the fixture. @nd & 3rd Pics are exactly the same, except for the lighting in the pics. The 2ndst pic is natural daylight & also overhead light. The 3rd pic is natural daylight only.From left to right for metal color comparison in the middle is: brushed nickel, polished chrome, brushed stainless steel, a silver/gray duct tape roll, & a hem/fir 2x4 scrap, uncoated natural.I would describe the style to be a more 'adult' industrial, as opposed to some of the cheap looking gas pipe constructed types of fixtures, or the cheap folded light gauge sheet metal garbage that rusts, pits, peels & discolors, being manufactured. These fixtures are rustic though more refined, without looking like a cookie cutter product. They appear as hand forged steel, not as an assembly line sheet metal cut out. The wood used is a recycled, rustic grade plywood, with some roughness & dings. The wooden plaque is slightly under 1/2 inch thick on both fixtures. The mounting plate itself is punched out sheet metal that has a nice gauge of thickness and is not flimsy.This style would fit in very well in a rustic country style, a cabin, industrial chic, steampunk, or even shabby chic, but there's nothing 'shabby' about their construction, it's high quality, but using recycled materials. The edges are neat & not sharp. I found no burrs on either fixture. I am not worried that the fixture will pit, peel, or discolor in my bathroom over the sink.If the color of the wooden plaque is needed to be more precisely dialed into your specific room, it would take little effort to remove the wooden plaque to sand/paint/stain/varnish to your exact color specs, before installation, by unscrewing from the inside of the back of the fixture. This would not affect the integrity of the fixture, & it can easily be put back together.Included with the fixture are 2 '40 watt equivalent' LED bulbs that look just like Varaluz's pics. Specs on the bulbs are as follows from the bulb box: E26-4 110v 4 watt 2700k. I did not test the bulbs for this review as LEDs color temperature can dramatically change the color & feel of a room, and the desired effect, and that has nothing to do with the quality of the build of the fixture. The bulbs used are going to depend on each individual, in person, in the environment the fixture will be installed. The bulbs are a nice bonus though. Use the bulbs provided, or select bulbs of a color/temperature appropriate for your room. This fixture accepts E26 base of any type of bulbs, rated up to 100 watts, according to the sticker on the fixture.Overall, I am THRILLED with the robust quality of the fixture. My only dissapointment is that the fixture is not brushed stainless steel, & that the color of the metal has been evened out, instead of just a pure clear coating, because I prefer to see the variations & color differences with weld marks, but I understand most people want a more evenly colored product, & that is exactly what this is. It is a simple but beautiful fixture, built to last.I had never heard of Varaluz brand previous to this purchase. I looked at hundreds of fixtures in person, from several stores & was disappointed with the cheap materials & poor construction, with high price. I took a chance for this purchase because because I loved the style, but really needed to see both to choose color & judge quality. I am now looking at Varaluz's other light fixtures because they are building quality products. Haven't seen fixtures this well made in over 25 years. Kudos to Varaluz! Better materials, better quality of build, good QC, using recycled materials, at a reasonable price point is a business model I will support. Added bonus, while the fixture was not USA made-it is NOT made in China. The inside of the back has hand signed (in pen!)QC signatures, date, & country of manufacture! Vote with your wallet!