Victor Hugo was exiled from France in 1851 after Napoleon III's coup, living on Guernsey from 1856-70. His exuberant home Hauteville House, where he wrote Les Misérables, has been preserved as it was. It's all DIY opulence, with Hugo's larger-than-life personality imprinted all over the furnishings – many pieces he fashioned himself from bric-a-brac finds.
The writer used mundane objects to create all sorts of extraordinary pieces, including a candelabra made out of bobbins. Hugo wrote many towering works in his rooftop glass lookout and the house's pretty walled garden has been restored according to photographs and drawings from his lifetime.
At research time, Hauteville House was closed for renovation and due to reopen in 2019.