Inside Barclays Center’s new brownstone dressing rooms

There are six new turnkey Brooklyn brownstones — but they’re not for sale. That’s because they’re located in the bowels of Barclays Center.

The custom paint just dried on the arena’s gut renovation of its six artist dressing rooms, Laurie Jacoby, the chief entertainment officer, exclusively told The Post. All 2,200 square feet were redesigned to evoke the look of brownstones, from thick crown molding to pocket doors. 

The project is just a slice of the Barclays’ $100 million, multi-year facelift.

“We didn’t really want to hold back,” said Jacoby.

Months of work by designers and artisans transformed the six interconnected dressing rooms into a cozy warren worthy of a Park Slope brownstone. The once-gray walls and drab black chairs were replaced by golden sconces and velvet love seats; vintage-inspired lighting and custom millwork now line freshly limewashed walls. 

The redesign gives a sense of place for artists who might otherwise only glimpse the borough from a tour bus window, Jacoby said. Each room bears the name of an iconic Brooklyn neighborhood, with corresponding paint colors — rich army green for Fort Greene and a brick red for Brooklyn Heights.

There’s even a “vestibule” that fronts the dressing rooms, featuring checkered marble floors, frosted glass and a golden chandelier.

“You don’t feel like you’re in an arena when you come in,” Jacoby said. “That’s part of what we wanted to achieve, you can leave the world outside for a little bit, you come in here and have a little respite.”

A few acts have already had the chance to enjoy the homey interiors, including the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, Puerto Rican rapper Eladio Carrión and country singer Eric Church. Reactions have been positive, Jacoby said.

Applying a brownstone aesthetic to a 13-year-old arena’s basement dressing rooms was no small task. The Brooklyn Home Company, the designers charged with transformation, faced a bare-bones space that hadn’t been renovated since Barclays opened its doors in 2012. 

Like any good facelift, dressing room’s “before” photos are unrecognizable — the former aesthetic was more far more DMV than VIP.

The bland rooms featured gray walls, swinging metal doors, fluorescent lights and plain-looking black leather seating. It was high time for an overhaul of the space, which Jacoby compared to an airport lobby.

“Artists need a home. And this didn’t feel like a home,” Jacoby said. “That’s kind of how it started. And what is Brooklyn known for? Its beautiful brownstones.”

Round any number of residential streets from Bed-Stuy to Boerum Hill, and you’ll see what she means. Brooklyn’s iconic 19th and early-20th century townhouses, characterized by their reddish-brown sandstone facades, symbolize a uniquely Brooklyn brand of home-y luxury available to the lucky few. 

Their distinctive high stoops, opulent entrances and interior craftsmanship often earn the best-located brownstones tens of millions of dollars on the open market. 

The decor pays homage to the area, too, including furniture sourced along Atlantic Avenue and coffee table books by hometown heroes like Spike Lee.

The $100 million modernization isn’t just about looking like the borough that Barclays calls home — the 19,000-seat arena has to compete with larger venues like Madison Square Garden for performing acts and their loyal fans.

The fresh dressing room is just one part of ensuring Barclays stays top of mind for top talent.

“It’s a very competitive marketplace,” Jacoby said. “I want Brooklyn to stand out.” 

The dressing rooms, now seamlessly connected by pocket doors, can meet the demands acts big and small, with a 56-person capacity for glam squads, management teams and meet-and-greets.

Such lush digs beg the question – how will the custom marble countertops and sculptural side-tables fare against hard-partying musicians? When the tell-all memoir of every other musical legend comes with tales of trashed dressing rooms, such lush furnishings might be a risky investment. Jacoby isn’t too concerned. 

“I think people respect a beautiful environment and want to keep it that way,” she said.

The constraints of space and the hectic arena environment meant that the dressing rooms couldn’t get the full luxury market treatment – accessible showers and mini fridges take the place of clawfoot tubs and Gaggenau appliances. 

The cost of the dressing-room renovation, which Jacoby declined to disclose, is included in the overall $100 million budget that is reshaping the arena. The facelift comes with a targeted end date of 2027 or 2028, she said.

And, especially considering these new dressing rooms, it’s all worth every cent.

“I think people were completely blown away,” she said. “I am anxious to have somebody see it who was here before. They won’t think they’re in the same building.”