His short sightedness made him medically unfit for military service in the Second World War, but he became an air raid warden and hospital orderly.
He leased the Hunting Lodge at Odiham in Hampshire from the National Trust in 1947, and his simple but elegant decorative scheme made a great impact.
He also worked on decorative schemes for Buckingham Palace, Holyroodhouse, Chequers, Chevening, Christ Church, Oxford, and the Bank of England.
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1973 and retired in 1975 but had been an adviser to the National Trust since the 1950s and continued to provide them with his advice.
He worked on at least 30 of the National Trust's properties, including in particular Clandon Park, Sudbury Hall and Erddig.