Roger Smithells was born in Stafford, Staffordshire, England on 5 April 1905 and worked as an architect, interior designer and writer on architecture, design and home furnishing from the early 1930s to the late 1960s. Photographs of 'Fiveways' in Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, a Modernist-style flat-roofed building designed by Roger Smithells and P. Doran are illustrated in 'Decorative Art' 1935 (pp.21, 57); and a photograph and a description of a living room for the Basil Gordon Fitted Home at Edgware, London, designed by Smithells and executed by Messrs. Renovart, is illustrated in 'Decorative Art' 1936 (p.45).
Among books written by Smithells were 'The Modern Home: Its Decoration, Furnishing and Equipment' (Benfleet, England: F. Lewis, 1936), 'Make Yourself at Home: Ways and Means of Furnishing Today' (London: Royle Publications, 1948), 'Fabrics in the Home: Their Place in the Furnishing Scheme' (London: Herbert Jenkins, 1950), 'Interiors in Colour' (London: B.T. Batsford, 1960), 'Buying a House' (London: Newman Neame, 1962), 'Colour in Interior Decoration' (London: Batsford, 1966). He was also editor of 'Modern Country Houses' (London: Country Life, 1936), 'Country Life Book of Small Houses' (London: Country Life, 1939), and 'News of the World Better Homes Book' (London: 'News of the World', 1954).
Smithells' address was given as Little Chalfont, Amersham, Buckinghamshire in 1933. He died in Chichester, Sussex on 10 October 1993.