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The famous Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern design, is up for sale for the initial occasion in its whole history.

This cantilevered dwelling, situated in the Hollywood Hills, was listed on the listings this past week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have held title to the property for its full 65-year existence, shared a statement regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had become too difficult to maintain.

"This house has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve grown older, it has become progressively harder to look after it with the dedication and energy it so truly merits," stated the offspring of the original owners.

They continued that the moment had come to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only appreciates its design legacy but also comprehends its role in the cultural landscape of the city and beyond."

Humble Origins

The inception of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the original owners acquired a sloped parcel of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned representation of the city, the family often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Design Feat

The first design for the Stahl house was developed during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were at first hesitant to build it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to take on the task. With support from the notable Case Study program, pioneered by a leading magazine editor, the family received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "focused on trial and error" and "employing new materials and building in sites that maybe previously the technology didn’t really permit," remarked an expert from a city preservation society. "All these elements are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, contemporary and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Famous Influence

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and building commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after completion, a famous architectural photographer captured what is possibly the most iconic image of the home. Captured through the full-length glass windows, the image shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the LA skyline.

"I think the enduring influence of this image is due to the way it communicates an concept about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both metropolitan and removed from it," stated a founder of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Protected Designation

The home has had notable appearances in film, TV and promos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a protected monument, and in 2013, the house was listed as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Custodianship

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all tours are currently fully booked through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family stated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before stopping the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a new owner who will conserve the character of the space.

"For enthusiasts of design, patrons of design, or institutions seeking to safeguard an American masterpiece, there is simply no parallel," the details read. "This goes beyond a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next custodian who will respect the house’s history, value its original vision, and secure its protection for future generations."

The authority affirmed that the choice of new owner would be a critical one, given the home’s history.

"I think any time a longtime owner, and a guardianship like this, is transferring hands of a residence like this, it always gives us a little bit of a pause – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they understand and cherish the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"