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

This overhanging residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the market this past week. The price tag stands at an impressive $25 million.

Stewards Move to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the property for its complete 65-year existence, issued a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the house had grown excessively demanding to care for.

"This home has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become more difficult to care for it with the attention and vigor it so richly deserves," commented the descendants of the original owners.

They added that the period had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also grasps its role in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and beyond."

Humble Origins

The inception of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the initial owners acquired a sloped patch of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a famous representation of the city, the residents often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a luxury house."

Design Feat

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

In November 1957, the Stahls met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to accept the challenge. With backing from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around trial and error" and "utilizing new resources and building in locations that maybe earlier the engineering didn’t really enable," commented an expert from a city heritage organization. "Each of these factors are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that site that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and work began in May 1959. According to the owners, construction cost "a mere $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the authority added.

Soon after completion, a celebrated architectural photographer shot what is perhaps the most well-known image of the home. Shot through the enormous glass windows, the photograph shows two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to hover over the LA skyline.

"I believe the long-standing effect of the image is due to the way it expresses an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both urban and removed from it," said a head of an architectural firm and lecturer at a leading university.

Protected Designation

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

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

Future Ownership

The home continues to be open for visits, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all appointments are currently fully booked through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home emphasizes finding a new owner who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of style, advocates of design, or organizations seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the details state. "This goes beyond a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a search for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s past, respect its original vision, and secure its preservation for future generations."

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

"I think any time a original family, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they understand and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"