Wayne’s World: A Tour of the Flaming Lips Compound
Garth Johnson
Oh Flaming Lips, how do I love thee? I've probably seen them a half dozen times over the years. They never give less than 100% when they play live. The band is actually a cottage industry, employing longtime friends and family to help with lighting, rigging, confetti cannons, costumes and props. They always supply a massive dose of delight for their fans as Wayne Coyne, the singer, rolls through the crowd in a giant inflatable gerbil ball or pulls dozens of furry-costumed fans waving flashlights onto the stage.
It should come as no surprise that his house is just as awesome as his shows.
[caption id="attachment_195" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Courtesy of the New York Times"]
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Wayne and his wife Michelle live in a huge brick compound in Oklahoma City that dates back to 1936. They bought the house, which is located in a down-at-heels neighborhood, in 1992 for $20,000. The Coynes have been spiffing up the joint for the past few years. They hired Oklahoma City's Fitzsimmons Architects to help them with some interiors, but in typical Flaming Lips style, they hired local craftsmen to do most of the work. The hacked desk lamp chandelier is also a work of pure genius.
[caption id="attachment_196" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="photograph by joseph mills. copyright Fitzsimmons Architects 2009"]
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Most of the details in the house are pleasantly homemade. The house never seems overly slick and technological---you could come up with a pretty good version of lots of these details yourself if you were willing to put in the sweat. One exception is the drool-worthy Gyrofocus fireplace in the center of their living room. This award-winning piece of design dates back to the late 1960's and is still in production by Focus Fireplaces. Check out the entire gallery of images at the Fitzsimmons Architects website.
[caption id="attachment_222" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Paul Hellstern for the New York Times"]
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As a tribute to the original homebuilder, who was reportedly a Stonemason, the Coynes used recycled granite waste for their floors. My hat also goes off to to the Coynes for working with their historic building which Wayne describes as a "homemade" Frank Lloyd Wright prairie-style house. They integrated vintage fixtures and house features into their renovations.
The addition for their bathroom is otherworldly. Gleaming white modern sinks and sleek fixtures (check out the space egg faucet handles) are accentuated by the organic arches of the doors. The tub is a recessed area that was actually molded around the Coyne's bodies.
The house also has plenty of room for projects and mayhem. The Coynes are building a large warehouse space for Flaming Lips props and equipment. There's also plenty of room for Michelle's photo studio and the Flaming Lips practice space, which remains in the same small room. Another thing that impresses me is the way the Coynes have merged their lives and their house. From what I understand, they're not minimalists by any stretch of the imagination. They love collecting stuff, and now their house has a place for everything.
Check out the full gallery of images at Fitzsimmons Architects (LINK)
And below, Coyne leads a reporter from the Oklahoman on a tour of his neighborhood and other points of interest in Oklahoma City.
[youtube feKQNzv76kM]
[/caption]
Wayne and his wife Michelle live in a huge brick compound in Oklahoma City that dates back to 1936. They bought the house, which is located in a down-at-heels neighborhood, in 1992 for $20,000. The Coynes have been spiffing up the joint for the past few years. They hired Oklahoma City's Fitzsimmons Architects to help them with some interiors, but in typical Flaming Lips style, they hired local craftsmen to do most of the work. The hacked desk lamp chandelier is also a work of pure genius.
[caption id="attachment_196" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="photograph by joseph mills. copyright Fitzsimmons Architects 2009"][/caption]
Most of the details in the house are pleasantly homemade. The house never seems overly slick and technological---you could come up with a pretty good version of lots of these details yourself if you were willing to put in the sweat. One exception is the drool-worthy Gyrofocus fireplace in the center of their living room. This award-winning piece of design dates back to the late 1960's and is still in production by Focus Fireplaces. Check out the entire gallery of images at the Fitzsimmons Architects website.
[caption id="attachment_222" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Paul Hellstern for the New York Times"][/caption]
As a tribute to the original homebuilder, who was reportedly a Stonemason, the Coynes used recycled granite waste for their floors. My hat also goes off to to the Coynes for working with their historic building which Wayne describes as a "homemade" Frank Lloyd Wright prairie-style house. They integrated vintage fixtures and house features into their renovations.
The addition for their bathroom is otherworldly. Gleaming white modern sinks and sleek fixtures (check out the space egg faucet handles) are accentuated by the organic arches of the doors. The tub is a recessed area that was actually molded around the Coyne's bodies.
The house also has plenty of room for projects and mayhem. The Coynes are building a large warehouse space for Flaming Lips props and equipment. There's also plenty of room for Michelle's photo studio and the Flaming Lips practice space, which remains in the same small room. Another thing that impresses me is the way the Coynes have merged their lives and their house. From what I understand, they're not minimalists by any stretch of the imagination. They love collecting stuff, and now their house has a place for everything.
Check out the full gallery of images at Fitzsimmons Architects (LINK)
And below, Coyne leads a reporter from the Oklahoman on a tour of his neighborhood and other points of interest in Oklahoma City.
[youtube feKQNzv76kM]
