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The famous Stahl house, a epitome of mid-century modern design, is currently listed for the first time in its complete history.

This cantilevered home, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was listed on the market this week. The price tag stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its complete 65-year existence, shared a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They stated that the property had grown excessively demanding to maintain.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become more difficult to look after it with the dedication and effort it so richly deserves," stated the descendants of the original owners.

They further stated that the period had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also understands its place in the cultural history of the city and beyond."

Humble Beginnings

The beginnings of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the first owners acquired a sloped patch of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a famous icon of the city, the family often stressed that "no famous individuals ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a luxury house."

Architectural Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was developed during the summer months of 1956. However, many builders were initially wary to build it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to undertake the challenge. With support from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around trial and error" and "utilizing new materials and erecting in locations that maybe before the technology didn’t really allow," stated an expert from a local heritage organization. "All these elements are wrapped up into a place like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was erected on that plot that everyone else thought, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Cultural Influence

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and building commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The outcome was "an idealized version of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist commented.

Soon after the build ended, a celebrated architectural photographer captured what is arguably the most famous image of the home. Captured through the full-length glass windows, the image features two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring effect of that photograph is due to the way it communicates an concept about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both urban and detached from it," commented a founder of an architectural company and educator at a leading university.

Historic Recognition

The home has had memorable appearances in cinema, television and videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Coming Custodianship

The home is still open for visits, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all tours are currently fully booked through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "sufficient warning" before discontinuing the tours.

The property description for the home highlights finding a buyer who will conserve the character of the space.

"For connoisseurs of style, advocates of design, or institutions seeking to preserve an iconic work, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing state. "This is more than a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a quest for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s legacy, respect its design integrity, and guarantee its conservation for future generations."

The expert agreed that the selection of new owner would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is transferring hands of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And do they comprehend and cherish the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"