Because you can't move forward without looking back, here now is The Year That Was, wherein Curbed briefly and by no means exhaustively recaps important things that happened in the realms of real estate, interior design and decor, architecture, and shelter media. Month by month, here it goes: sayonara, 2011!
· Man refuses homeowners insurance; forecloses on the bank instead.
· Kate Hudson buys a place in London.
· Minnesota design firm builds whole pirate's ship in kid's bedroom.
· Jennifer Aniston's "Ohana" estate officially hits the market.
· Beverly Hills and a seven-block slice of NYC's Upper East Side are named the most expensive ZIPs in the country.
· Someone decides wall decals inspired by Charlie Sheens rants would be swell.
· Guy stuffs ex-girlfriend's mom into a fold-out couch.
· It's announced that the Great Gatsby house will be demolished.
· Charlie Sheen buys a Mediterranean-style manse in Beverly Hills.
· Mary J. Blige lists her mansion in New Jersey.
· The History Channel announces a new show devoted to taxidermy in Alaska.
· National Geographic nerds build the real-life version of the house from Up.
· Speculations arise that novelist Tom Clancy is building a gun range in his Baltimore home.
· Martha Stewart Living names Pilar Guzman its new editor in chief.
· Nicole Richie spends $3K on pillows, publicly shamed on Twitter.
· Architectural Digest announces an upcoming feature on Elizabeth Taylor's house.
· House listed for a dollar ends up selling for $5K.
· Ian Schrager sends a cease-and-desist to Crate and Barrel over its "Ian" sofa.
· Fabrics firm Kravet saves its bankrupt colleague, Brunschwig & Fils.
· Zillow launches "Zestimates" to approximate the value of rental properties.
· San Francisco pot dispensary wins a major design award.
· Urban Outfitters owners builds cheese-making retirement complex in Pennsylvania.
· Jon Stewart introduces Cribs about poor suburban teachers.
· House Beautiful puts pink chairs all around Chicago, then Photoshops Keanu Reeves on to them.
· In NYC, a mansion hits the market for $90M.
· Frank Gehry's Guggenheim project in Abu Dhabi accused of violating workers' rights.
· Ikea's pro-gay ad incites wrath all over Italy.
· Marimekko announces plans for an enormous, colorful NYC flagship.
· Poland-born artist debuts world's first thoroughly crocheted apartment.
· Architects decide to build Russian cathedral next to the Eiffel Tower.
· Slash auctions off a bunch of wild-looking home decor items and furnishings.
· Unleashed: the Prince William and Kate "Commemorative Fridge."
· Tyler Florence chosen to design House Beautiful's 2011 Kitchen of the Year.
· Russian billionaire Yuri Milner pays $70M for a new house.
· Frank Gehry's Schnabel House, in L.A., hits the market for $13M.
· World's most famous spiderman scales world's tallest tower.
· America ranked the seventh worst housing market in the world.
· Photo of a house released via Twitter: it bears an uncanny resemblance to Hiter.
· Bravo announces new show Interior Therapy With Jeff Lewis.
· Artist Steve Shaheen debuts a bench made from 5,000 NYC Metrocards.