10 Questions With… Emma Maclean

Xiao Ting Four Seasons Macau. Photography by Anthony Tang/A2 Studio.

Many expatriates living in Hong Kong share a similar history: they stopped off in the city, found their niche and never left. For Emma Maclean, it was her father Van Maclean who stopped in Hong Kong in the mid-1960s on his way to art school in London, England, as an 18-year-old Australian. The newly opened Hong Kong Hilton hired him to sculpt ice for its buffets. He ended up working with the hotel group for two decades as a self-taught interior designer before joining Planning Services International to concentrate on clubhouses and hotels. Maclean and her identical twin sister Caitlin McDaid grew up in Hong Kong drawing furniture sections with their parents on paper tablecloths at Dan Ryan’s Chicago Grill. There was no question that both girls would pursue careers as interior designers. 

After receiving a bachelor’s in interior design, sub-majoring in architecture, from University of Technology Sydney, Maclean returned to Hong Kong to work for the likes of Bilkey Llinas Design, Steve Leung Design Group and HBA. In 2018, she established EM Bespoke and specialized in hospitality projects, rebranding the atelier as Emma Maclean & Co in 2024. Over the years, its portfolio has encompasses hospitality, commercial and residential spaces, with bespoke furnishings, décor and art for many of its clients.

Maclean joins Interior Design in her Sheung Wan studio to talk about her love for Hong Kong, why her father is her hero, collaborating with like-minded talents, why communities matter, and the projects closest to her heart.

Portrait of Emma Maclean. Photography by Linda Cheung.

Emma Maclean Embodies Her Love Of Hong Kong In Her Hospitality Work

Xiao Ting Four Seasons Macau. Photography by Anthony Tang/A2 Studio.

Interior Design: Where is home for you: Hong Kong or Sydney?

Emma Maclean: Hong Kong. Although both my parents are from Sydney and I spent nine years at school there, my bones are tied to the fabric of Hong Kong. I grew up with the flavors, sights, and sounds of the city. Sydney is beautiful and inspirational while Hong Kong has the energy that makes my heart smile. I love that my studio is in its historic core, tied to its life and movements. When I come back to Hong Kong after being away, it’s like being welcomed back with a big hug.

ID: What are your takeaways from growing up in a design household?

EM: We had many dinner table conversations about managing clients and finding solutions to design problems. My late father had a ferocious work ethic and an old school mentality. He taught me that it is not just about the design—we need to look after our clients because we provide a service.

I also learned the importance of communication. When dad first started working in Hong Kong, there were no interior designers—just architects and decorators. Hilton asked him to handle the construction of a new café in the hotel and he jumped at the chance. He learned Cantonese on site, as he worked with local contractors and understood that communication needed to be as quick and direct as possible to not delay the process. Dad always said that if you can design a hotel, you can design anything.

Hauser & Wirth gallery. Photogaphy by Steve Wong/One Twenty-Three Photography.

ID: Who were your other mentors?

EM: After design school, the global economic downturn made it challenging to find a job in Australia. I spent half a year in Rome on a language course, and then returned to Hong Kong in 2008. Oscar Llinas was my first boss at Bilkey Llinas Design. When I first showed the presentation boards I put together for a hotel project, he said wryly: “This is not how you seduce me, Emma. Do you run to your lover without any clothes on? You must take me on a design journey.” I turned purple with embarrassment! Showmanship and the art of presentation were lessons well learned.

My next job with Steve Leung Designers taught me the importance of diversification. Steve is always thinking outside the box and is a true businessman. He creates elegant spaces but also does so much more than design. I also loved working with Mathew Lui at HBA. He is really a designer’s designer, and I have never seen someone who could make a plan come to life so beautifully and with so much logic.

ID: You recently completed a residential project in Happy Valley?

EM: Yes, we converted a three-bedroom apartment in a heritage building into a two-bedroom one. It was for a couple from Sydney who loves entertaining. The space is open with tons of natural light. We created a little retreat for them with many details and a design that respected the location’s village vibe.  

The residence followed a series of spaces we designed for a private club in Hong Kong, including a café, wellness center, and common areas. It was very luxurious with rich tones and colors, dark flooring, and a traditional look that reflects the clientele. I love that some of our projects are tiny while others are design build and several thousand square feet in size. If we keep pivoting, we will never stagnate or run out of fresh ideas.

Happy Valley apartment. Photography by Steve Wong/One Twenty-Three Photography.

ID: What makes your design for the Hauser & Wirth gallery space special?  

EM: We worked with Hauser & Wirth gallery’s Hong Kong and London teams on a three-story space in Central, Hong Kong. The project was all about finding one-of-a-kind pieces. The desk from De La Espada was like origami with drawers that opened like a fan. We curated settings around particular works of art, and specified brands such as Cassina and Giorgetti. We worked with a master carpenter to make consoles in just four weeks. We included a meeting table with a copper base to encourage good feng shui. It was a happy project.

ID: And you recently upgraded a super yacht.

EM: Silentworld is a 2006 yacht and a renovation project with many technical details. We took it to a dry dock and everyone worked on it at the same time as the schedule was very tight. There were issues underneath the flooring, and we ended up having to replace it. There were many architectural elements that we kept though, including the dark wood trim, the circular detail above the dining area, and the staircase, where we added a lot more lighting to make it brighter. We also updated all the furniture and specified all outdoor pieces so they can be more flexible to use and easy to clean. The project was about addressing what could be changed while keeping an eye on the bottom line. Since a yacht is always in motion, we had to be clever in our construction approach to minimize warping.

Silentworld yacht. Photography by Adam Blackmore/ISEO Yachting.

ID: Tell me about some of your collaborations.

EM: As designers, we are always stronger together and can learn so much from each other. Collaborations expose us to clients and projects that we normally don’t encounter. That said, it started with my sister Caitlin. We were classmates in university and came back to Hong Kong at the same time. We had always helped one another, and we continue to work on projects together. I’m a big picture person; Caitlin is all about the details. We are good bookends because we feed into each other’s strengths.

Visual artist Elsa Jeandedieu also creates stunning murals and is such a pleasure to work with. She has become a good friend over the years. Architect J.J. Acuna and I collaborated on projects including Xiao Ting, the Cantonese restaurant in Four Seasons Hotel Macao. When we work together, it’s like a well oiled machine and we bring this collaborative spirit to our clients. 

ID: Why teach at Insight School of Interior Design?

EM: I have always believed that it is vital to mentor young designers. The profession is not just about us, but also the future of design. After all, someone gave me a chance. And I’ve employed people that I taught.

At Insight, I taught drawing and hospitality from 2016 to 2022 on a part time basis. Many young people think they draw up a plan and they are done. It is important for them to see the space is alive, with different scenarios for different times of the day and different uses. Every project has its own story.

Learning design is like learning another language and becoming fluent at it. Classes at Insight became a design family for its teachers and students. It was wonderful to share my years of experience with students, and it is rewarding to make a difference.

Insight School of Interior Design. Photography courtesy of Emma Maclean & Co.

ID: Why is sketching important for you?

EM: Sketching is the beginning, and I do a lot of it by hand. Sketching is about conveying ideas and so much of our work is illustrative. It is important to be able to explain things to contractors on site with just a marker on a wall. A drawing is easier to read than text and can say so much. Technology can always fail.

ID: How do you recharge your batteries?

EM: I love being on water and grew up sailing in Sydney and Lantau island in Hong Kong. We are all keen sailors in my family, and are longtime members of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. There is nothing more refreshing than going for a run or hike in the hills of Hong Kong to clear my head. I am so lucky to have it all at my fingertips. I can finish work, run up to The Peak, and the city is at my feet. It is pure magic. I can’t do that anywhere else in the world.

I also love to see how community is everything in Hong Kong. Several generations often live together in the same household. I see elderly folks playing the flute to birds in the park or taking a grandchild to school. Everyone has a reason to get up and move here. It is so harmonious and wonderful to see how we are all gently knitted together.

Van Maclean at drawing board. Photography courtesy of Emma Maclean & Co.