An education in leatherIf you're interested in buying just...

An education in leather

If you're interested in buying just about the hottest furniture around these days, you need to know some leather lingo. Here are a few important words and phrases:

* Aniline: The transparent dye used to color leather while concealing none of the natural markings.

* Antiqued/distressed: Signs of aging and wear that have been artificially created.

* Full grain: A top-grain leather with no corrections or alterations to the natural grain pattern.

* Nubuck: A top-grain, aniline-dyed leather buffed to create a soft nap. Not a suede, which is made from the less desirable split hide.

* Pigmented: Sometimes called pained leather. Finished with a solid pigment coating for consistency of color and texture.

* Pull-up: A look associated with quality leather. When waxed- or oiled-leather is pulled, the oils or waxes cause the color to migrate and become lighter in the pulled areas.

* Top grain: The uppermost layer of the hide, the highest quality and the most preferred for furniture.

New grazing for Holy Cow

Holy cow, now there are two of them. The original Holy Cow is in Ellicott City (8104 Main St., 410-461-1016); last fall Hampstead got its own Holy Cow (1353 N. Main St., 410-239-8068). When the Ellicott City shop first opened, it had a theme -- you guessed it, cow collectibles and other cow creations. But nowadays you'll find a range of country gifts and accessories at both locations, including handmade wreaths, candles, potpourri, accent furniture and Beanie Babies. Still, if you're looking for that udderly perfect black-and-white patterned gift for someone, you'll probably find it at one of these locations.

Magazines showcase Maryland homes

Maryland homes made the pages of several national magazines this month. The Chestertown house built by architect Anthony Barnes won a 1998 Southern Home Award for its design. (Look in the February issue of Southern Living for it and for details on entering next year's competition.)

Designer Bill McGee's new Baltimore apartment is showcased in the current issue of Southern Accents, which calls it "a concise synthesis of color, comfort and high style." And the antebellum house with a home office owned by Frank Keefer of Ellicott City is featured in the winter 1998 issue of Working at Home magazine.

All about herbs

You know spring is just around the corner when you can register for a gardening class. Tina James, garden writer and host of Maryland Public Television's "Good Earth Gardens," will teach a four-part class on herbs at Roland Park Country's evening school.

The classes will cover growing herbs indoors and out; harvesting and storing them; and making herbal oils, sauces, teas, tonics, salves and lotions.

"Herbs Naturally" will run Tuesday evenings from March 10 to April 7, with no class March 17, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Cost is $65. The school is located at 5204 Roland Ave. Call 410-323-5500 for more information.

Pub Date: 2/15/98