The character's fictional backstory explained that she enjoyed living in the hippy communes with her parents when she was younger, and she retains her beliefs in the healing properties of crystals and rebirth. Author of "Neighbours: The First 10 Years", Josephine Monroe described Ren as "one of life's free spirits" and wrote that she is ruled by her heart rather than her head. Hill said her character and her siblings all had a "fantastic upbringing" and that Ren is a "real bohemian and has a really great collection of crushed velvet smocks". Hill also said that playing Ren was "like taking a trip down memory lane" as she had been into the hippy lifestyle when she was a teenager. Ren "brought a breath of fresh air" into her brother, Mark's life. Their contemporary home decor reflected their personalities, and Andrew Anastasios of "The Age" wrote: "They are younger, less conservative, and Ren is 'a hippy fashion designer'." When Ren begins working with Danni Stark (Eliza Szonert) on her fashion business, her personality begins to change. She starts driving a BMW and "the power goes to her head."