Reco Capey was born in Burslem, Staffordshire, England, on 5 July 1895 and studied art at the Royal College of Art in London (1919-22) and in France, Italy and Sweden. He taught at the Royal College of Art for some 30 years from 1924. He was also chief examiner in industrial design for the Board of Education (1937-40). He designed ceramics, glass, plastics, textiles, lacquer and metal and was author of ‘The Printing of Textiles’ (London: Chapman & Hall, 1930). Carved boxes designed by Capey and made of ICI's Resin 'M' (later called 'Perspex') were shown in the Royal Society of Art/Royal Academy sponsored 'Exhibition of British Art in Industry' held at Burlington House, London, in 1935. Capey was art director for Yardley (1928-38), designing much of their packaging.

Capey was a member of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society and its President from 1938 to 1942. He also participated in the Society's exhibitions in 1926, 1928, 1931 and 1938 and exhibited at the Fine Art Society, the New English Art Club and the Royal Academy in London; the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool; and at the Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts.

Capey was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and a Fellow of the Society of Industrial Artists (FSIA). In 1937 Capo was elected a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) by the Royal Society of Arts. Capo's address was given as 13 Hill Street, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire (1915), 30 Albert Mansions, Albert Bridge Road, London (1928, 1934), 1 Warrington Crescent, London (1937, 1947), and Down Lane, Alfriston, Sussex (1959). He died on 11 May 1961