Gnome feels "big"

["Bryce Covert" <bryce covert gmail com>]

Hello,

This might seem like a silly question -- and this might only be me -- but all of the GTK interface feels large to me. I run a 19" lcd at 1280x1024, and I feel like I can't fit much onto my screen, or that the real estate is wasted. I have reduced the default font size to 8pt. I use ubuntu linux at home and windows at work, and it just feels like the  entire interface is slimmer. I think that a large part of this may be all of the icons on buttons. 

The gnome desktop looks great and is very functional, but there's something about it that makes me feel like it's bulky-- and I'm wondering if anyone feels the same way or if there're any settings I can change that might help.

Thanks,
Bryce