Stately Wayne Manor: Coyne’s Crib

“Drive through the neighborhood he calls home, not far from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame or the place where the Murrah Federal Building once stood, and you encounter block after block of single-story ranches where kids in diapers run around the yard, dad watches professional wrestling on TV, and rusted-out junkers sit on cinder blocks in the driveway. Then you stumble across a two-level brick rambler in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, with gargoyles on the roof and giant flower sculptures on the balcony. Even without knowing that friends and neighbors call the place “Stately Wayne Manor,” it’s obvious that this must be home to the founder of the Flaming Lips.”

-Jim Derogatis, “Ladies and Gentlemen: The Fabulous Flaming Lips!”

MTV stopped by “Stately Wayne Manor” in December 2009 for an episode of Cribs.  It was a full year before it aired (twice circa Christmas 2010) and then repeated (on the evening of January 26, 2011, and again in on the morning of February 4th).  It will show again on Wednesday, June 22nd at 9:00 AM… set the DVR!

Among the highlights in Coyne’s home MTV filmed: his dog Dazey on a couch (that looks like her) next to (Wayne’s wife) Michelle, a uterus on the kitchen counter, a skeleton cookie jar, in Wayne’s words- “robotic, giant spider” kitchen lights, a fetus in the fridge, the morning yoga room, a “magical, psychedelic Christmas forest” and a “futuristic, hotel-room-from-Anartica bedroom” with a spinning fireplace and mosaic grouted with tints of Michelle’s blood.  

Wayne also showed MTV viewers what he calls the “world’s biggest fan,” already familiar to some Flaming Lips followers since “Big Ass Fans” – the ceiling fan company that installed it – uploaded a YouTube video (viewable above) of their work in Wayne’s house …. a big ass fan.  

Though the Big Ass Fan video and the episode of Cribs are the latest peeks into Wayne’s home, there’s been assorted pictures in magazines and the like through the years and some scenes in The Fearless Freaks.  The New York Times‘ featured the Coyne residence in the October 9, 2008 “Garden” section and fader.com took a video tour of stately Wayne manor in January 2009 (notice the kitchen renovations between the NYT photo above, and the Rolling Stone picture at left from two years prior).

The Fader tour and the Big Ass Fan video both went relatively unnoticed when uploaded in 2009.  Last year however, images from Wayne’s house were plastered all over the internet – and even in a few magazines – after his renovations (working with Fitzsimmons Architects and Studio F Construction) were posted on the web (a link tweeted by The Flaming Lips), and various design sites picked up the story (including design-milk.com, designerscouch.com, readymade, rubypress and others). 

Here’s some highlights from fitzsimmons.com (click on pictures for more details):

“This appropriately quirky residence and music studio is as free thinking and boundary pushing as the art and music of its occupants, the wife, a photographer and artist, and her husband, a rock music icon. The addition/renovation to their home is the central piece of a larger master plan developed for 6 adjoining properties in a blighted neighborhood of Oklahoma City. These properties, referred to as “the compound” for those familiar with it, are being transformed in stages.”

“Phase one of the masterplan consisted of completion of two center pieces, allowing the remaining phases to happen organically over time between tours.”

“Centerpiece one is the Partial refinish of the main house, a 1930’s Oklahoma Deco home, touted as the first fireproof home in the City, built from left over building materials of the original mason owner, and the complete renovation of the Multi-add-on garage, storage and above ground bunker, to become the current owners large family room, new master suite with the necessary mirror ball clad “dragon egg” sunken bathing pod addition, and provide general escape from the groupies and roadies who frequently overrun the compound.”

“The existing low roof structure of the renovated space was removed making room for a new higher “fractured plain” roof complete with decks and terraces. This “fractured plain” floats above a ribbon of clerestory windows allowing sunlight to flood into the main living space.”

“Centerpiece two is the creation of the Great Lawn to connect all the houses together, and replace the flood ridden asphalt roadway previously in place. The Lawn will serve as general work zone for stage props and set ups and home to future dragon egg follies and gathering places.”

“The owners have been actively engaged in the renovation of their house from design phase through construction, resulting in a one of a kind collaboration, that will continue in future phases.”

“The Artist Wife, and General Contractor, who is also the Architect, together installed the celestial patterned family room and outside terrace floor of the recycled granite waste materials (ode to the original mason home builder). Other unique assets resulting from the collaboration, include hidden doors and passage ways leading from the Private areas of the House into the Bunker, a concrete masonry clad Box that is now used as the bands rehearsal and recording space. And the customized seats in the bathing pods tub portion, sculpted around the Husband and wife while they sat.”

“Perhaps the most important attribute of the Project and the Compound in general is its expression of commitment by the musician to stay and live in this long troubled neighborhood where he grew up. Through their commitment and the architects work on other projects adjoining the neighborhood, signs of renewed revitalization efforts are beginning.”

Follow Psych Explorations of the Future Heart at twitter/FutureHeartDay – songs of the day, Flaming Lips quotes, music news and when to catch the next episode of MTV Cribs with Wayne Coyne.