It really depends on the space and how creatively you use it. I live in a relatively small 1-br and have no trouble. (I have a single desk with 2 monitors, and

It really depends on the space and how creatively you use it. I live in a relatively small 1-br and have no trouble. (I have a single desk with 2 monitors, and a HDMI + USB switch to toggle between home/work computers -- total footprint? 15 sqft. And it's comfortable). The fact that your friend had a kitchen table makes me think her layout is optimized for other purposes. For 2 people, a small Parisien cafe table or a nook table are stylish, minimalist alternatives that would open up the space for a desk. When I was a poor grad student years ago, I lived in apartments as small as 400 sqft (total) and never had any issues with my home computer setup. It does take having minimalist (but often inexpensive) furniture and having the spatial sense to use space efficiently though. Not sure I would extrapolate it to a class issue. Maybe an urban/suburban/rural divide? I have friends with rural/suburban upbringings who feel claustrophobic in these settings, but I grew up in a hyperurban environment where small spaces were the norm.