The wraparound terrace features 12 trees, roses and clematis, creating a tranquil garden above Manhattan’s bustling streets.
Some homes make an impression long before they become available to buy. For Barbara Corcoran, the real estate entrepreneur and Shark Tank star, a Manhattan penthouse was one such discovery. She first encountered the property decades ago, when she was working as a messenger, and never quite forgot it. Years later, the apartment became her family home. Now, as she moves into a new chapter of city living, another Upper East Side residence has captured her imagination, this time with a sweeping terrace, carefully considered interiors and a nine-month transformation that reflects her personal style.
Filled with 12 trees, roses and clematis, the outdoor space brings a garden-like atmosphere to the urban setting, with seating areas that invite quiet mornings and relaxed entertaining. The new penthouse might never have become Corcoran’s next home without designer Allegra O. Eifler. As Architectural Digest reports, Corcoran discovered Eifler’s work in a magazine feature while travelling on a transatlantic flight. After spending months looking for a designer whose interiors felt welcoming rather than overly formal, she found a sensibility that matched her own. The result is an interior built around personal possessions, antiques, custom seating, patterned wallpapers and carefully layered lighting. Rather than treating the apartment as a showpiece, the design gives each room its own character while maintaining a sense of continuity throughout. The home’s interiors reveal Corcoran’s affection for spaces that feel lived in. A dark-panelled library displays artwork from her former conference room, complemented by a vintage golden-yellow Scandinavian rug. In the primary bedroom, a pink velvet-lined egg chair fulfils her wish for a swing, creating an intimate retreat within the larger residence. Her collection of bunny figurines has found a home in the powder room, while owl lamps add personality to the living area. The soaring stone entrance hall makes a more dramatic impression with a sculptural Italian bronze spiral chandelier dating to the 1960s. Beyond the interiors, the wraparound terrace remains one of the apartment’s defining features.