🔗 Share this article

The renowned Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern design, is now available for the initial occasion in its entire history.

This overhanging dwelling, nestled in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the market this week. The listing price stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its entire 65-year existence, shared a statement regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the dwelling had proven too difficult to maintain.

"This house has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the care and vigor it so truly merits," commented the offspring of the initial owners.

They continued that the period had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only appreciates its design legacy but also understands its place in the cultural history of the city and further afield."

Humble Inception

The origins of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a sloped plot of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a well-known symbol of the city, the owners often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," describing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Challenge

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

In November 1957, the family interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the task. With backing from the influential Case Study program, led by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received support to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "focused on experimentation" and "using new resources and constructing in places that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really allow," commented an specialist from a local preservation society. "All these elements are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was not feasible."

Finalization and Cultural Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist commented.

Soon after completion, a famous architectural photographer shot what is perhaps the most iconic image of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the image shows two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the lasting effect of this photo is due to the way it conveys an concept about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and detached from it," said a head of an architectural company and educator at a leading university.

Cultural Recognition

The home has enjoyed memorable cameos in movies, TV and promos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was listed as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Custodianship

The home remains open for public viewings, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all tours are currently reserved through February. In their announcement concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before stopping the tours.

The property description for the home emphasizes finding a buyer who will maintain the character of the space.

"For collectors of design, advocates of design, or organizations seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the details say. "This goes beyond a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a search for the next custodian who will respect the house’s history, value its design integrity, and secure its preservation for posterity."

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

"In my view any time a original family, and a custodianship 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 do they understand and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"