Interior designer Phyllis Hume Spalding, who helped set the standards for kama'aina design in Hawai'i, worked for some of the biggest names in the state: Henry Kaiser, Laurance Rockefeller, Clare Boothe Luce and George Harrison.

But she never lost the ability to make even the humblest person feel at ease.

"You could be rich or poor or the mostly lowly person on the street and she'd always treat you with respect," said her son Michael Spalding. "She was always trying to give people the gift of life."

Spalding died June 23. She was 86.

Born in Wyoming, she was a first runner-up in the Miss America pageant, an actress in New York and Hollywood, and a volunteer with the American Red Cross who traveled throughout the Pacific in World War II before meeting her first husband in Honolulu.

During a long career in Hawai'i as a designer, businesswoman, collector and patron of the arts, she worked on some of the finest buildings in the state — Castle & Cooke, Alexander & Baldwin, Mauna Kea Hotel, 'Iolani Palace, and the state Capitol — and came to be recognized as a connoisseur with impeccable taste.

"For many of us who grew up here, she defined good taste," said family friend Ian Sandison. "If you go to places commonly held out as eloquent in Hawai'i, chances are she was involved."

She also owned the Mandalay stores at the Halekulani Hotel and Four Seasons Resort in Wailea.

Spalding often credited the influence of her second husband's mother, Alice Cooke Spalding, whose family helped found the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Phyllis and Philip Spalding lived in the 1925 family home, which later became The Contemporary Museum.

During construction of the state Capitol, she was the only woman consultant, choosing the fabrics, rugs and wall coverings that give the interior offices and halls their warm, Hawai'i feel. For Rockefeller's Big Island home, she coordinated all the fabrics — including draperies, bedspreads, wall prints and pillow coverings. For Harrison's Maui home, she worked closely with the ex-Beatle and his wife while two of their bodyguards stood outside the office door.

Five years ago, she was honored with a lifetime award from the American Society of Interior designers.

She is survived by two sons, Philip H. and Michael S.; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

A celebration of her life will be held from noon to 2 p.m. July 10 at the Contemporary Museum in Makiki Heights. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Contemporary Museum and Honolulu Academy of Arts. Borthwick Mortuary is handling arrangements.

Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.