In the heart of the urban jungle, space is a fiercely contested commodity.

In Dubai, a one bedroom apartment can cost on average around AED 90,000 per year in areas like Jumeirah Lake Towers, but that rises to more than AED 110,000 in Dubai Marina. And while rents are dropping across the emirate, prices are still high for the amount of space offered.

Small wonder many of the city's expats and residents try to squeeze every drop of use out of nook, corner and cranny when decorating and arranging their homes.

When you live in a box-sized apartment and pay half your salary for it – every nook and corner counts. Living in a limited space brings many challenges but a small house doesn’t mean you can’t live large.

It makes sense to ignore expensive décor or luxury furniture when your bedroom is barely big enough to fit your bed and your kitchen is only big enough to accommodate one person.

But does that mean you should live in cramped clutter? We say, not at all.