Barbara Corcoran’s Manhattan duplex penthouse is a home fit for the queen of New York real estate. But the Shark Tank star delights in a surprisingly down-to-earth habit on her enviable terrace, which boasts views across Central Park. “I wanted it because I love to garden,” she says. “I do weeding instead of therapy.”
In a spacious attached greenhouse that also houses her breakfast nook and kitchen, she has a dedicated area for potting her container gardens.
The soaring glass structure once contained a far less enticing feature, installed by the previous owner. “The greenhouse was a bathroom,” says Corcoran. “There was a urinal on the wall. Talk about the prettiest spot in the apartment for the worst use.”
After she bought the two-story, she spent two years renovating the place. The biggest switch: flipping the upstairs and downstairs floorplan. “It was hard to figure out the apartment,” she says. “But once I had the idea, move the kitchen in the greenhouse, then everything else fell into place.”
Corocoran moved her family — husband Bill Higgins, a retired Navy captain and FBI agent, age 73, and their children Tom, 23, and Kate, 12 — into the finished home just over a year ago.
The chartreuse library, which features a B&B Italia coffee table and a pair of bold armchairs, is the businesswoman’s favorite room, despite having undergone countless color changes. “It’s probably one inch smaller for how many times I repainted it,” says Corcoran.
Above the fireplace are a collection of antique tarot cards. Doing readings for friends and family is a favorite pastime. “People say I’m pretty good at it,” she says with a shrug.
A massive framed artwork bearing her last name used to hang in her company’s New York headquarters, but now gets a prized spot in her penthouse.
Downstairs, she turned the largest living space into a family room, complete with a PingPong table. Her shih tzu Max referees the family’s nightly matches in the living room. “It seems to get out all the anxiety of living in New York City,” she says.
Over the fireplace, hangs one of her prize posessions, a family portrait made of paper cut-outs that Corcoran commissioned from her daughter’s art teacher. “It’s like a spoof of the old-fashioned family shots,” she explains. And though her children don’t appreciate the clothes she picked for them in the piece, she says, “I’m the boss here.”
Barbara Corcoran's Upper East Side Aerie
Barbara Corcoran’s Manhattan duplex penthouse is a home fit for the queen of New York real estate. But the Shark Tank star delights in a surprisingly down-to-earth habit on her enviable terrace, which boasts views across Central Park. “I wanted it because I love to garden,” she says. “I do weeding instead of therapy.”
A Garden in the City
In a spacious attached greenhouse that also houses her breakfast nook and kitchen, she has a dedicated area for potting her container gardens.
Bizarre History
The soaring glass structure once contained a far less enticing feature, installed by the previous owner. “The greenhouse was a bathroom,” says Corcoran. “There was a urinal on the wall. Talk about the prettiest spot in the apartment for the worst use.”
After she bought the two-story, she spent two years renovating the place. The biggest switch: flipping the upstairs and downstairs floorplan. “It was hard to figure out the apartment,” she says. “But once I had the idea, move the kitchen in the greenhouse, then everything else fell into place.”
A Family Home
Corocoran moved her family — husband Bill Higgins, a retired Navy captain and FBI agent, age 73, and their children Tom, 23, and Kate, 12 — into the finished home just over a year ago.
Perpetual Redecorator
The chartreuse library, which features a B&B Italia coffee table and a pair of bold armchairs, is the businesswoman’s favorite room, despite having undergone countless color changes. “It’s probably one inch smaller for how many times I repainted it,” says Corcoran.
Seeing the Future
Above the fireplace are a collection of antique tarot cards. Doing readings for friends and family is a favorite pastime. “People say I’m pretty good at it,” she says with a shrug.
Blast from her Past
A massive framed artwork bearing her last name used to hang in her company’s New York headquarters, but now gets a prized spot in her penthouse.
Game Night
Downstairs, she turned the largest living space into a family room, complete with a PingPong table. Her shih tzu Max referees the family’s nightly matches in the living room. “It seems to get out all the anxiety of living in New York City,” she says.
An Heirloom in the Making
Over the fireplace, hangs one of her prize posessions, a family portrait made of paper cut-outs that Corcoran commissioned from her daughter’s art teacher. “It’s like a spoof of the old-fashioned family shots,” she explains. And though her children don’t appreciate the clothes she picked for them in the piece, she says, “I’m the boss here.”
