Owning a historic work of architecture isn’t for the faint of heart – which may be why one of Los Angeles’ most famous houses has languished on the market.
Last November, Case Study House #22, otherwise known as the Stahl House, was listed for $25 million by the descendents of the home’s original clients, Buck and Carlotta Stahl. When completed, the house immediately drew acclaim, both for its stunning cantilevered design by modernist architect Pierre Koenig, and an iconic 1960 photograph snapped by Julius Schulman that went on to epitomise midcentury glamour. But buyers aren’t biting. In fact, the owners opted to slash the price by $5 million, hoping to attract the home’s next steward.
Why aren’t would-be buyers scrambling to snap up the Stahl House? First and foremost is the eye-watering $20 million price tag. The house, while visually breathtaking and historically significant, is modest in size, with just two bedrooms housed in its 2,200 sq ft. 'It’s impossible to put a price on fame,’ Mike Deasy, a real estate agent who has overseen the sale of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed residence, told the Los Angeles Times.
There’s also the question of maintenance. Historic properties require specialised care and upkeep to address aging materials and systems, work that can be time consuming and costly. In fact, that’s part of the reason the Stahls, who’ve kept the home in the family for some six decades, opted to part with their cherished home. ‘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 Stahl children wrote in a statement on the Stahl House website.
Because of the house’s historical designations (it’s on the National Registry for Historic Places, and an LA Historic-Cultural Monument), it would be tricky (not to mention controversial) to alter or expand the building.
Whether or not the discount will compel the right buyer to make a move remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: they’ll be owning a piece of America’s architectural history, something you can't put a dollar on.