Barbara Corcoran visited a New York City penthouse in 1992 and knew she had to have it. She bought it 23 years later.

At the time, she was delivering an envelope to a Fifth Avenue duplex. When she stepped inside and glimpsed the lush green terrace through a set of French doors, something clicked. “I envisioned myself living here,” she said. She left her name with the owner, not expecting anything.

Years passed, her career as founder of The Corcoran Group and fame on ABC’s “Shark Tank” soared, and eventually, the call came. In 2018, Barbara and her husband, Bill Higgins, purchased the 4,600-square-foot duplex to call their own—an emotional full-circle moment, decades in the making.

Now, as Barbara prepares to turn the page of 1158 Fifth Avenue to a new chapter, the home she once dreamed of—and later transformed—is for sale. And Vesta Home, a design, staging and furniture studio, had the honor of getting it ready for its close-up on the real estate market. 

The design emphasizes both scale and “defining moments.” The grand living room features five oversized windows, a wood-burning fireplace and elegant moldings. To match its proportions, the Vesta team created two distinct seating arrangements and replaced the television with mirrors to reflect the views and artwork. At Barbara’s request, Vesta brought in its Kennedy Modular Sofa—a piece she first admired in another Vesta Home project at Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman’s former home. She was drawn to the design and asked the listing broker who had staged the space. The answer? Bonnie Bruckheimer + Christina Slater from Vesta. So when it came time to sell her own home, Bonnie got the call.

As for the penthouse’s $12 million price tag, Barbara knows she’s asking for less than what she spent buying and renovating the home—but for her, that was never the point. “I never thought I would ever leave,” she told The New York Times. “It’s easy to spend money when you’re building a lifelong dream. For me, real estate is emotional.”

For Barbara, this isn’t just another transaction—it’s a deeply personal decision. Now, as she prepares to move on, she does so with equal parts sentimentality and clarity—ready for her next chapter, while passing the keys to someone new who will fall in love with it the same way she did.

Property available fully furnished.

Furniture and Styling by Christina Slater, Amber Cicardo and Bryanna Warman of Vesta

Project Management by Bonnie Bruckheimer and Samantha Donini of Vesta

Listed by Scott Stewart, The Scott Stewart NYC Team, and Carrie C. Chiang , The Carrie C. Chiang Team,  at The Corcoran Group

Photography by Melanie Greene, GreeneHouse NYC