diff --git a/src/BoxLayout.cpp b/src/BoxLayout.cpp
index edca432..0d9cd20 100644
--- a/src/BoxLayout.cpp
+++ b/src/BoxLayout.cpp
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ void BoxLayout::run() {
         return;
     }
 
-    double total_space = m_target->rect().dimension_at(m_direction);
+    double total_space = m_target->rect().dimension_at(m_direction) - 2 * m_margin;
     double free_space = total_space;
-    Point current_position { 0.0, 0.0 };
+    Point current_position { m_margin, m_margin };
     int unslotted_widgets = 0;
     std::vector<Slot> working_slots(m_slots);
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ void BoxLayout::run() {
                 // if the widget has a minimum or maximum size, we'll make a slot for its preferred size
                 child->rect().update();
                 working_slots.push_back(Slot { 0, child->rect().dimension_at(m_direction), SlotType::Pixel });
-                free_space -= child->rect().dimension_at(m_direction);
+                free_space -= child->rect().dimension_at(m_direction) + m_spacing;
             } else {
                 // we can consider widgets with no size perference "unslotted". these widgets will be evenly spaced amongst themselves.
                 unslotted_widgets++;
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ void BoxLayout::run() {
             // if the slot is fixed, we can already clamp it and subtract from free_space 
             if (working_slots[i].type == SlotType::Pixel) {
                 working_slots[i].pixel = child->rect().clamp_for_dimension(m_direction, working_slots[i].pixel);
-                free_space -= working_slots[i].pixel;
+                free_space -= working_slots[i].pixel + m_spacing;
             }
         }
     }
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@ void BoxLayout::run() {
         if (slot->type == SlotType::Percent) {
             slot->pixel = ((free_space / 100.0) * slot->percent);
             slot->pixel = child->rect().clamp_for_dimension(m_direction, slot->pixel);
-            free_space -= slot->pixel;
+            free_space -= slot->pixel + m_spacing;
         }
     }
 
-    double space_per_unslotted_widget = free_space / unslotted_widgets;
+    double space_per_unslotted_widget = free_space / unslotted_widgets - m_spacing;
 
     for (unsigned int i = 0; i < m_target->children().size(); i++) {
         auto child = m_target->children()[i];
@@ -75,12 +75,12 @@ void BoxLayout::run() {
         child->rect().set_y(current_position.y());
         if (m_direction == Direction::Horizontal) {
             child->rect().set_width(slot.pixel);
-            child->rect().set_height(m_target->rect().max_geometry().height());
-            current_position.add(slot.pixel, 0);
+            child->rect().set_height(m_target->rect().max_geometry().height() - 2 * m_margin);
+            current_position.add(slot.pixel + m_spacing, 0);
         } else {
-            child->rect().set_width(m_target->rect().max_geometry().width());
+            child->rect().set_width(m_target->rect().max_geometry().width() - 2 * m_margin);
             child->rect().set_height(slot.pixel);
-            current_position.add(0, slot.pixel);
+            current_position.add(0, slot.pixel + m_spacing);
         }
     }
 };
@@ -93,5 +93,11 @@ void BoxLayout::slot_pixel(double pixel) {
     m_slots.push_back(Slot { 0, pixel, SlotType::Pixel });
 }
 
+void BoxLayout::slot_pixel(double pixel, double times) {
+    for (int i = 0; i < times; i++) {
+        slot_pixel(pixel);
+    }
+}
+
 }
 
diff --git a/src/BoxLayout.hpp b/src/BoxLayout.hpp
index cd923c4..0a60146 100644
--- a/src/BoxLayout.hpp
+++ b/src/BoxLayout.hpp
@@ -29,7 +29,16 @@ public:
     void run();
     void slot_percent(double percent);
     void slot_pixel(double pixel);
+    void slot_pixel(double pixel, double times);
+    
+    void set_margin(double margin) { m_margin = margin; }
+    double &margin() { return m_margin; }
+
+    void set_spacing(double spacing) { m_spacing = spacing; }
+    double &spacing() { return m_spacing; }
 private:
+    double m_margin { 0.0 };
+    double m_spacing { 0.0 };
     std::vector<Slot> m_slots;
     Direction m_direction { Direction::Horizontal }; 
 };
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index c0b28b9..273e3de 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -16,19 +16,6 @@
 #include <memory>
 #include <string>
 
-class Fish : public Raven::Widget {
-public:
-    Fish()
-        : Raven::Widget() {}
-protected:
-    void on_paint() {
-        if (!painter()) return;
-
-        //painter()->png("tuna.png");
-        painter()->cairo()->paint();
-    }
-};
-
 int main() {
     Raven::Window window {};
     window.spawn_window();
@@ -42,13 +29,15 @@ int main() {
     top_bar->set_layout<Raven::BoxLayout>(Raven::Direction::Horizontal);
 
     auto container_widget = main_widget->add<Raven::Widget>();
-    container_widget->set_layout<Raven::BoxLayout>(Raven::Direction::Vertical);
+    auto container_layout = container_widget->set_layout<Raven::BoxLayout>(Raven::Direction::Vertical);
+    container_layout->set_spacing(5);
+    container_layout->set_margin(18);
     container_widget->resize(400, 400);
 
     auto new_button = top_bar->add<Raven::Button>("add");
     new_button->rect().set_max_width(50);
     new_button->on_click = [container_widget]() {
-        container_widget->add<Fish>();
+        container_widget->add<Raven::Button>("hello");
     };
     auto remove_button = top_bar->add<Raven::Button>("remove");
     remove_button->on_click = [container_widget]() {