It might work for you, but I dont enjoy emulation, of any platform.
If I can't use the original hardware, I'd rather not do anything.
As for space, I currently have on a single desk (with a few shelves):
A500, A4000, Atari 1040STE, C=128D, C64, Atari 800XL and two CRT monitors.
It took some work to get everything setup nicely but it was worth the effort.
If there's a will, there's a way