Honouring Taylor Reale’s Legacy and Inspiration

On September 30, 2024, a creative light was dimmed with the sudden passing of Taylor Reale, 35, a 2018 alumna of Humber Polytechnic. Deeply beloved by her family and her friends, Taylor is also missed by the Humber and interior design community.

In her too-brief lifetime, she made a lasting impression as she followed her dreams, demonstrating a passion for interior design that had been with her since childhood.

"She would spend hours watching design shows with her younger sister, hoping that one day she would become an interior designer herself,” said her sister Kylie. “Completing an honours degree in Interior Design at Humber was a major step toward fulfilling that dream.”

Taylor earned acknowledgment and admiration for her potential and excellence in interior design. “Her hard work and dedication were recognized when she received a memorial scholarship, a moment of immense pride and accomplishment for her and her family.”

In recent years, Taylor drew on her interior design skills through her position as a home stager in Toronto. She would collaborate with clients to create pleasing visual experiences, recommend changes to transform impressions of the space, and personalize furnishings arrangements to strategically elevate the appeal of clients’ homes in the real estate market. She deftly handled the challenges of balancing creativity with sensitive, pragmatic design thinking, honing her own vision as she built on her foundation of learning.

In her memory, Taylor’s family has chosen to honour her legacy by offering the same opportunity to other aspiring designers through the creation of the Taylor Reale Memorial Scholarship. Funding for this gift was made possible in part by a GoFundMe campaign created by her family. “The scholarship will ensure that Taylor’s passion and spirit continue to inspire and support others,” says Kylie.

Launching in Winter 2025, the scholarship will be awarded to a student in Humber’s Bachelor of Interior Design program who self-identifies as a woman, demonstrates high academic achievement, and is in financial need.

The scholarship is designed as an act of extended support for a student of glowing potential, with disbursements of $1,000 given annually, in January, for three consecutive years.

In a loving memorial, Taylor was likened to a sunbeam that belongs to our world for only a brief moment. Through the kindness of the Reale family, the essence of Taylor’s light can shine on in others like her, who come to the program with hope and determination, and are given acknowledgment and support as they prepare to launch their dream career.