As we move into a new year, it's a great time to think back not only on the last year but also on all those years and decades and centuries that preceded it. A huge part of how we think about and use our homes comes from the past, so here's a compendium of some of our favorite history-related posts from 2012, selected to commemorate the designers we love, the time periods that inspire us, and some of the legacies that we probably take for granted.

Objects and Icons:
• The Story of the Squiggle Logo
• History of Headphones: 1919-2012
• The Story of Keep Calm & Carry On
• The Rise of Sophie the Giraffe
• An Animated History of LEGO
• Do You Remember the "Tangle"?
• Quick Piecing: A Short History of Quilting
• Product Nostalgia: An Ode to the (Discontinued!) Sony Dream Machine

Styles and Periods:
• Design Dictionary: Arts & Crafts
• Design Dictionary: Art Nouveau
• Design Dictionary: Rococo
• Design Dictionary: Toile
• Downton Abbey, Yankee Style: New England's Historic Homes & Gardens
• War of the Roses: The French vs. English Garden
• A-Z Design History Lessons
• Singapore's Black & White: A Brief History
• Fashion Meets Decor: 60s Mod + Contemporary Decor

Particular Spaces and Places:
• 1939 to 2012: A Home Loved through the Decades
• Doors of Maine: An Archival History
• Memory Lane: Living Rooms (and Video Games) by the Decade
• The Original Budget Makeover: Jackie Kennedy's White House
• A Walking History Lesson: Downtown Los Angeles
• Finn Juhl's Original Handmade Home

Designers and Classic Design Pieces:
• Julia Morgan: Spotlight on Women in Design
• Dorothy Draper: Style Icon
• Paul McCobb: Designer Dossier
• Modern Classics: Hans Wegner's Folding Chair
• Modern Classics: The Wassily Chair
• Modern Classics: The Eames LTR

Quick History:
• Quick History: IKEA
• Quick History: Pantone
• Quick History: Window Glass
• Quick History: Roman Villas and the History of the Romanticized Rustic Life
• Fork This: A Quick History of Forks

(Image: 1939 to 2012: A Home Loved through the Decades)