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The celebrated Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern design, is up for sale for the very first time in its complete history.

This suspended dwelling, perched in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, was listed on the listings this recent week. The listing price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Owners Move to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its complete 65-year existence, released a statement regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the house had grown too difficult to maintain.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the attention and energy it so truly merits," commented the offspring of the first owners.

They further stated that the moment had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only appreciates its design legacy but also grasps its place in the cultural history of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Humble Inception

The origins of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the first owners bought a sloped patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a renowned representation of the city, the family often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," describing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Design Feat

The initial design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many architects were initially wary to erect it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the owners consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to accept the project. With support from the notable Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the family received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "focused on innovation" and "utilizing new materials and constructing in locations that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really allow," stated an expert from a city preservation society. "All those things are wrapped up into a place like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and unimaginable in terms of how it was built on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Completion and Famous Influence

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The final product was "the ultimate vision of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the expert commented.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer took what is arguably the most iconic photograph of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photograph shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the enduring effect of the photo is due to the way it communicates an idea about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and removed from it," commented a head of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a leading university.

Historic Status

The home has enjoyed notable cameos in cinema, broadcast and promos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Future Stewardship

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all appointments are currently sold out through February. In their statement regarding the sale, the family indicated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before stopping the tours.

The sales details for the home highlights finding a new owner who will maintain the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of style, patrons of building, or institutions seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the description say. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s legacy, appreciate its design integrity, and guarantee its conservation for posterity."

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

"In my view any time a original family, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their aims will be. And can they comprehend and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"