Full Name: Emma Stergoulis
Current Role: Principal Owner
Current Organisation: Emma Stergoulis Design
Last Role at PwC: Senior Manager in International Assignment Solutions
Time at PwC: 1997 - 2018
What’s your fondest memory from your time at PwC?
My fondest memories are of the people I met and the opportunities that came from working in such a global firm. Working in global mobility meant connecting with colleagues and clients all over the world, but the opportunity that had the greatest impact was a three-year secondment from London to Sydney. Twenty-five years later, I’m still here! Along the way, colleagues and clients became lifelong friends, here in Australia, back in the UK and around the world. Those friendships are what I treasure most from my time at PwC.
If you could go back and give your first-year PwC self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Back yourself and make the most of every opportunity, even when you don’t feel entirely ready. There is so much to learn from the people around you and from experiences you might not have planned for. I think I could take some advice from my younger self now. She was more inclined to just go for it, without overthinking every possible outcome. There’s something to be said for combining the perspective you gain with experience with the courage you had at the beginning.
Which skills from PwC do you still use every day in your design business?
The skill I use most is taking the time to understand a client. What matters to them, what concerns them and how to explain things clearly so they feel confident in their decisions. Technical knowledge is essential, but the connection you build and how well you listen are often what people remember.
I bring that same understanding to interiors. A home’s appearance is only part of the brief. The spaces need to function for the people using them, and the result should feel personal. Both roles have taught me how much better the outcome is when you take the time to understand the person behind the brief.
When did you first realise interior design was more than a hobby for you?
It happened gradually. I’d always been creative and loved interiors, so I decided to study colour design. I won a couple of awards for my student work and was a finalist in the Dulux Colour Awards, which gave me the confidence to take it further.
As referrals grew, clients started asking whether I could help with their full interiors. That was when I realised this could become something more. There wasn’t one dramatic lightbulb moment. It was a growing sense that something I’d always loved was becoming a business, and that I wanted to give it a proper chance. Eventually, I had to take my own advice, back myself and step off the corporate ladder.
You set up Emma Stergoulis Design in 2010 while still working in tax. What was it like running a creative business alongside a corporate career?
In the early years, it felt more like a hobby that brought in a little income. My corporate career took precedence, so I was careful not to take on more than I could manage and set clear boundaries around the hours I devoted to the design business.
I enjoyed having both. Design gave me an outlet for my creativity, and I think that brought a fresh perspective to my corporate work too. It was when two children came into the mix that I had to step back and think properly about where I wanted to put my time and energy, and whether I was ready to give design the opportunity to become my main career.
You often say great design is not about following trends. How do you help clients create homes that will stand the test of time?
I start with the people who live there and the home itself. How do they use it? What do they love, what frustrates them and what would make everyday life easier? I also look at the architecture, proportions and features that give the property its character.
Getting those foundations right makes a lasting difference. A beautiful material won’t compensate for a layout that doesn’t work, or storage that hasn’t been thought through.
For me, timeless doesn’t mean everything has to be neutral. Colour, character and pieces collected over the years can make a home feel personal. Ultimately, I want clients to feel that their home could only be theirs. When it works for their lives and reflects their tastes, there’s much less reason to change it every time a new trend comes along.
Which project you are especially proud of, and why?
An Art Deco apartment in Clovelly is particularly close to my heart. It was a home for a lady living with dementia, and the brief brought together her independence and comfort, the apartment’s character, and her family’s need to plan for the future.
Some of the most meaningful decisions came from understanding her everyday routines. She loved feeding the birds from her kitchen window, so preserving that little pleasure mattered.
I’m proud of how we brought those needs together without losing the warmth and personality of the apartment. The details that mattered most were the ones that helped it remain her home.
What would you say to a PwC colleague who is quietly thinking about a big career change?
Give yourself permission to explore it. You don’t need to have the whole plan worked out before you take the first step. Study something that interests you, talk to people doing the work and find a way to experience the everyday reality of it.
Don’t underestimate what you already bring. Your experience, judgement and ability to work with people come with you. Eventually, you have to back yourself. There is always the saying that it is better to have failed than to wonder what if?
What is one small, affordable change that can transform a room?
Probably one of the most cost-effective ways is actually starting with rearranging what you already have. It’s easy to assume a room needs something new, when sometimes the furniture simply isn’t in the right place.
Moving a sofa, pulling a chair away from the wall or clearing a walkway can change how the whole space feels and functions. Before buying anything, ask yourself what isn’t working. You might find that a different layout and a little editing make you appreciate pieces you already own. A transformation doesn’t always need to start with a purchase.
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