Back in 1954, C.H. “Buck” Stahl and his wife, Carlotta, doled out $13,500 for a small plot of land in Los Angeles replete with spectacular views from its lofty perch high above the Sunset Strip. Armed with a vision for the house that would eventually grace the spot, Buck, a graphic designer and sign painter, and Carlotta began their journey by using their car to transport leftover concrete from city construction projects to the property on the weekends. They brought one load at a time over the next two years to shore up the precariously sloped site, all while thinking up ideas for the midcentury utopia they hoped to create there.
In late 1957, after making a 3-D model of their dream home, the couple enlisted the ambitious and ingenious young architect Pierre Koenig to take on their project—the result being a daringly cantilevered glass-and-steel structure that reflects the geometry and symmetry of the gridded streets that stretch out below and what is probably one of the most recognizable homes in the world.
The living and dining areas are separated by a freestanding fireplace and an adjoining fire pit.
Cameron Carothers
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Koenig proposed his plans to Arts & Architecture editor John Entenza, with the magazine adopting the house into its Case Study Program in early 1959, about a month before groundbreaking. Hence, Case Study House No. 22 was born. The two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath abode spanning 2,200 square feet, with a rectangular swimming pool and sweeping views of the entire L.A. Basin, would subsequently be immortalized in a legendary black-and-white image by famed photographer Julius Shulman.
The Stahl House, as it’s widely known today, went on to be named a Historic-Cultural Monument by the city of L.A. in 1999. About eight years later, the American Institute of Architects listed it as one of the top 150 structures on the “America’s Favorite Architecture” list, one of only 11 in Southern California. It was also included in a roster of all-time top 10 houses in L.A. in a Los Angeles Times survey of experts in 2008 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. It’s even been featured in several TV shows and films, including Columbo, Galaxy Quest, and Nurse Betty.
A plaque denoting the home’s historic designation hangs in the plywood kitchen.
Cameron Carothers
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Considered one of the California-born designer’s most extraordinary works, the place has remained in the same family for over six decades. Now the pristine time capsule has popped up on the market for the first time at $25 million, with William Baker of The Agency Beverly Hills holding the esteemed listing.
Set on almost a third of an acre at the end of a gated drive, with a high steel wall and exterior cameras securing the grounds, the International-style pavilion is accessed via a concrete footbridge next to the carport that passes over the pool before emptying at the entrance. The meticulously maintained, L-shaped living space leans toward a minimalist yet refined palette distinguished by a mix of stone, tile, and carpeted floors, plus exposed-beam and paneled ceilings.
A primary bedroom tucked behind the kitchen overlooks the pool and views beyond.
Cameron Carothers
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The home’s common quarters encompass a living room anchored by a freestanding natural rock fireplace flanked by a fire pit, a dining area, and an updated kitchen sporting plywood cabinetry and appliances hovering atop steel legs. Floor-to-ceiling walls of glass allow the house to look and feel like it’s floating above the city. The two bedrooms are secluded in a separate wing of the house, with the primary suite tucked behind the kitchen, while the pool and raised spa sit next to a wraparound terrace shaded by overhanging eaves.
“After 65 years, our family has made the heartfelt and very difficult decision to place the Stahl House on the market,” reads a statement on the Stahl House website from the Stahls’ children and sellers of the home, Bruce Stahl and Shari Stahl Gronwald. “This home has been the center of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the attention and energy it so richly deserves. The time has come to identify the next steward of Case Study House #22—someone who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also understands its place in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and beyond.”
Click here for more photos of the Hollywood Hills residence.
Cameron Carothers
Authors
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Wendy Bowman
