Benny: Tell us about yourself Romy, what’s your job title and how long have you been working in the industry? 
Romy: I’m a buyer/dresser! Often confused with costume buyer to people who aren't in the business. I like to say “Set Dresser” for ease. I’m still relatively new to the industry. I’ve slowly worked my way up from an intern, to a runner/art department assistant, to junior dresser, to buyer dresser in about 4 years.
BC: How did you get your start? RM: I was super lucky! I finished my study at the SAE film school and was doing nothing with my degree. One of my old lecturers approached me and asked if I was interested in doing an internship in the Art Department on a show for Channel 10, The Wrong Girl (S1), I said “absolutely” and it was guns blazing from there. I worked for free for about 3 months and it paid off. I met the most amazing people and made some great contacts. From then on, I haven’t stopped working!
BC: Tell us about your set… RM: My set is essentially my living room... elevated. It’s my happy place. There’s no place I’d rather be than at home with my dogs and my partner. I went a little wild with the colours of the walls and the type of flooring .. because I could! Living in a rental is so boring and drab.
BC: You seemed to know exactly what you wanted to do from the get go! Can you tell us about your process?
RM: From the get go I knew I wanted a pink coral wall, a vibrant colour that gives the space a little personality... and it’s my favourite colour. I also really wanted to recreate the mantle piece in my living room. It holds so many objects with so many stories. So finding the most perfect mantle was essential. And flowers too! Flowers are my thing. Having lots of plants and fresh flowers around gives me life. So I absolutely had to have all of my favourite flowers and plants in the space.
BC: What in this set is personal to you and why did you include it? RM: So much in this set is so personal to me. My favourite, my greyhound rescue Rosie. I love her so much and we truly bonded through lockdown. There’s lots of little “Easter eggs” too. Like my Kill Bill action figures (one of my favourite films), the New York school bus reminds me of my last trip away, the photo of me and my grandpa on the wall, prints from an artist I love. From an outsider's perspective it’s all a bit crazy and probably doesn’t make any sense.. but it doesn’t have to.. does it?!
BC: What items did you rent or purchase specifically for this shoot? RM: For this shoot I sourced the mantle and painted it white. I also hired the check flooring and borrowed a lamp from work as none of my lamps at home really suited the aesthetic I was going for. Aside from that, everything came from home
BC: What was behind your decision for the check flooring? RM: I’ve always loved check tiled floors, It reminds me of my grandparents house when I was a kid. It’s also kind of gives me “regal vibes”. And a bit twin peaks-y
BC: How does the final outcome compare to the room you envisaged? RM: Looks pretty damn close to how I imagined! I did one initial sketch of the space and it’s not too different. The colour is so perfect, it’s so wild and over the top. Just the way I like it!
BC: What are you working on now? RM: It’s very exciting times for me at the moment. I’ve just landed my first buyer/dresser job on an American feature film being shot in melbourne, called Blacklight. It’s honestly my dream job!