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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of mid-century modern design, is currently listed for the very first time in its entire history.

This suspended home, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, appeared on the listings this recent week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Family Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its entire 65-year history, released a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the property had proven excessively demanding to care for.

"This home has been the center of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the care and effort it so rightfully warrants," stated the offspring of the original owners.

They added that the period had emerged to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only values its architectural significance but also understands its place in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and further afield."

Unassuming Beginnings

The inception of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the initial owners bought a sloped patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a famous representation of the city, the owners often emphasized that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Design Undertaking

The first design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer months of 1956. However, many builders were initially hesitant to erect it on the difficult hillside.

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

The modernist program "centered around innovation" and "utilizing new materials and erecting in locations that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really allow," commented an authority from a regional heritage organization. "All those things are combined into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else thought, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and building commenced in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the authority added.

Soon after construction was finished, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is possibly the most iconic image of the home. Captured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photograph features two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the enduring effect of that image is due to the way it communicates an idea about residing in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and separate from it," said a principal of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a major university.

Protected Status

The home has enjoyed notable appearances in cinema, television and promos, including several well-known 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 included as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Stewardship

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

The listing for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will preserve the essence of the space.

"For connoisseurs of style, supporters of design, or entities seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the description read. "This is more than a transaction; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next steward who will respect the house’s past, value its design integrity, and guarantee its preservation for future generations."

The authority concurred that the choice of new owner would be a vital one, given the home’s past.

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a guardianship like this, is changing ownership of a residence like this, it always gives us a little bit of a concern – 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?"