Introducing Second Story, a newsletter for old house fanatics
Launching this Friday!
Hello, and welcome to Second Story!
You’re probably here because, like me, you also love old houses, history, and traditional design. And while I will definitely talk about that a lot, Second Story will also be a place to learn about where and how we live, on every scale.
From curious stories about cities, neighborhoods, and buildings to interviews with experts on how to sensitively renovate a historic home, this weekly newsletter will be a place to learn, get inspired, and share my (or my partner John’s) current obsessions. Like how we’re on the hunt for a LED bulb that actually mimics an incandescent glow (the cynical side of me believes it’s not possible, but we’ll see). And don’t even get me started on John’s pursuit of the perfect summer tomato.
Second Story is dedicated to learning about houses, history, and how to have a life filled with well designed, high quality things and experiences—especially on a budget. Whether that means decoding search terms on FB Marketplace to find an English roll-arm sofa at 75% off (please, George Smith, please) or knowing which brand of kitchen range is worth a splurge.
If you’re familiar with my Instagram or TikTok, you already know what I’m talking about, but here we’ll geek out even more in depth, and I can’t wait to get the first story started. Look out for posts every Friday.
A little about me…
Hi! My name is Robert, and I moved to NYC in 2012 intent on being a fashion editor at a menswear magazine. I really had impeccable timing, because shortly after I moved, legacy media seemed to implode on itself—but not before I had a very influential experience as the Assistant to the Editor in Chief of DEPARTURES Magazine (the former luxe lifestyle mag for AmEx Platinum/Centurion members—not the mag you’d find in airplane seat pockets).
There, I started to write for the Home & Design team, and I was hooked. After doing the job that a million boys with an appreciation for Le Sirenuse would kill for, I became the social media manager of Curbed, where I eventually wrote a weekly column about historic architecture. There, I realized I loved houses so much that I needed to try out a career in real estate sales. That was in 2018, I’m now a NYC broker at Compass, and most of my clients hire me because they love prewar apartments and historic homes, too.
Recently, though, I realized how much I’ve missed the work I did when I wrote that column. I spoke to so many interesting architects, interior designers, historians, and old house nerds like myself to learn new things and answer questions I’ve always had. It’s time to get back up and running with Second Story—and share what I find out along the way.
Got ideas about what you’d like to read? Get in touch!
Email me at robert.khederian@gmail.com
You had me at old house fanatic!
Ohh, I'm excited for this!