Bom Dia, Bonita!

On Portugal's Comporta coast, Jacques Grange fashions a relaxed getaway for his effervescent friend Florence Grinda.

- By Ian Phillips

Florence Grinda is an enthusiastic collector, F to say the least. I adore buying things, Grinda admits. She has a group of cockerel sculptures in her Paris apartment, and the kitchen of her chalet in Gstaad is filled with black ceramics from Vallauris. Meanwhile, her vacation home near Comporta in Portugal is stocked with rattan mirrors, midcentury Murano glass fish, and turquoise-colored vases from the Burgundy village of Accolay. She's quite insatiable, says her longtime friend Jacques Grange, who oversaw the architectural design of her Portuguese getaway. She's like a child who wants all their toys.

The pair have known each other for 50 years and counting. Florence is charming, amusing, and not afraid of speaking her mind, says Grange, who is far from alone in falling under her spell. Her list of friends over the years has included Brigitte Bardot, Andy Warhol, and Hubert de Givenchy.