diff --git a/click.go b/click.go
index fa46749..f95f122 100644
--- a/click.go
+++ b/click.go
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ func (w *guiWidget) doWidgetClick() {
 		w.placeWidgets(3, 2)
 		w.showWidgets()
 
-		w.hideFake()
+		hideFake()
 		showDebug = true
 
 		w.dumpTree("after")
diff --git a/keybindings.go b/keybindings.go
index b513424..f798fdb 100644
--- a/keybindings.go
+++ b/keybindings.go
@@ -50,13 +50,11 @@ func addDebugKeys(g *gocui.Gui) {
 		func(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
 			fakeStartWidth = me.FakeW
 			fakeStartHeight = me.TabH + me.FramePadH
-			var w *guiWidget
-			w = me.treeRoot.TK.(*guiWidget)
 			if showDebug {
-				w.showFake()
+				showFake()
 				showDebug = false
 			} else {
-				w.hideFake()
+				hideFake()
 				showDebug = true
 			}
 			return nil
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index ab6d902..6de0402 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ func init() {
 	// init the config struct default values
 	Set(&me, "default")
 
+	// Set(&me, "dense")
+
 	me.myTree = tree.New()
 	me.myTree.PluginName = "gocui"
 	me.myTree.ActionFromChannel = action
diff --git a/place.go b/place.go
index 48d7b3a..c0cf1b9 100644
--- a/place.go
+++ b/place.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) placeWidgets(startW int, startH int) (int, int) {
 		tk.dumpTree("start place")
 
 		newW := startW + me.GroupPadW
-		newH := startH + 3 // normal hight of the group label
+		newH := startH + 1 // normal hight of the group label
 		var maxW int = 0
 		// now move all the children aka: run place() on them
 		for _, child := range tk.children {
diff --git a/size.go b/size.go
index d04a8e8..1feab7a 100644
--- a/size.go
+++ b/size.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) Size() (int, int) {
 				maxW = sizeW
 			}
 		}
-		return maxW, maxH
+		return maxW + me.GroupPadW, maxH
 	}
 	if tk.isFake {
 		return 0, 0
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func (w *guiWidget) sizeGrid() (int, int) {
 	for _, h := range w.heights {
 		totalH += h
 	}
-	return totalW, totalH
+	return totalW + me.GridPadW, totalH
 }
 
 func (tk *guiWidget) sizeBox() (int, int) {
@@ -99,5 +99,5 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) sizeBox() (int, int) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	return maxW, maxH
+	return maxW + me.BoxPadW, maxH
 }
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index 85ac890..2b1e4ca 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -76,7 +76,13 @@ type config struct {
 	TabPadW    int `default:"4" dense:"0"`
 
 	// additional amount of space to indent on a group
-	GroupPadW int `default:"6" dense:"2"`
+	GroupPadW int `default:"4" dense:"1"`
+
+	// additional amount of space to indent on a group
+	BoxPadW int `default:"2" dense:"1"`
+
+	// additional amount of space to indent on a group
+	GridPadW int `default:"2" dense:"1"`
 
 	// the raw beginning of each window (or tab)
 	RawW int `default:"1"`
diff --git a/view.go b/view.go
index 138e2df..4da4ada 100644
--- a/view.go
+++ b/view.go
@@ -184,6 +184,18 @@ func (w *guiWidget) hideWidgets() {
 	}
 }
 
+func hideFake() {
+	var w *guiWidget
+	w = me.treeRoot.TK.(*guiWidget)
+	w.hideFake()
+}
+
+func showFake() {
+	var w *guiWidget
+	w = me.treeRoot.TK.(*guiWidget)
+	w.showFake()
+}
+
 func (w *guiWidget) hideFake() {
 	if w.isFake {
 		w.hideView()