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The celebrated Stahl house, a epitome of mid-century modern design, is now available for the very first time in its whole history.

This cantilevered residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills, was listed on the listings this week. The listing price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Stewards Decision to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its full 65-year timeline, shared a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They stated that the property had proven too difficult to upkeep.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the attention and energy it so truly merits," wrote the offspring of the initial owners.

They continued that the moment had come to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also understands its role in the cultural fabric of LA and elsewhere."

Humble Inception

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

Despite the Stahl house growing into a renowned icon of the city, the owners often stressed that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Feat

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

In November 1957, the Stahls met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the project. With backing from the prominent Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around experimentation" and "using new resources and constructing in locations that maybe before the engineering didn’t really enable," remarked an specialist from a local conservancy. "All those things are integrated into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that site that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Iconic Influence

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and building began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction totaled "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority commented.

Soon after completion, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is possibly the most famous image of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the photograph features two women positioned in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the LA skyline.

"I believe the long-standing effect of this photo is due to the way it conveys an notion about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both urban and detached from it," said a head of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Protected Status

The home has had historic appearances in film, broadcast and videos, 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 preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Stewardship

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 release regarding the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before ending the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of style, supporters of architecture, or organizations seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the description say. "This goes beyond a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s legacy, respect its design integrity, and ensure its protection for posterity."

The specialist concurred that the selection of buyer would be a crucial one, given the home’s history.

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a pause – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they understand and value the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"