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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern design, is now available for the initial occasion in its entire history.

This cantilevered residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills area, hit the listings this week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Choice to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its full 65-year existence, released a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the house had become too difficult to care for.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become more difficult to maintain it with the care and vigor it so rightfully warrants," wrote the offspring of the first owners.

They added that the time had arrived to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also comprehends its position in the cultural history of Los Angeles and beyond."

Humble Beginnings

The origins of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the initial owners purchased a mountainous patch of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a famous icon of the city, the owners often pointed out that "no celebrities ever lived here," describing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Undertaking

The initial design for the Stahl house was developed during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were originally hesitant to erect it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to accept the task. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, led by a prominent magazine editor, the family received support to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "was about trial and error" and "utilizing new resources and erecting in places that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really allow," remarked an authority from a regional conservancy. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Completion and Iconic Influence

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and work began in May 1959. According to the family, construction amounted to "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist added.

Soon after the build ended, a celebrated architectural photographer captured what is arguably the most iconic photograph of the home. Captured through the full-length glass windows, the photograph depicts two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the city skyline.

"In my opinion the lasting effect of this image is due to the way it expresses an concept about residing in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and separate from it," commented a head of an architectural company and lecturer at a major university.

Historic Status

The home has had memorable features in film, television and promos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was included as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Custodianship

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all appointments are currently sold out through February. In their statement regarding the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before discontinuing the tours.

The property description for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will maintain the character of the space.

"For collectors of design, patrons of building, or institutions seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the description say. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a hunt for the next custodian who will respect the house’s legacy, value its architectural purity, and secure its preservation for generations to come."

The authority agreed that the choice of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a guardianship like this, is changing ownership of a property like this, it always creates a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And do they grasp and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"