If you're repainting older plaster, take the extra prep time to make the effort worthwhile. Use patching plaster to smooth cracks and imperfections in the plaster before you paint. If there's an angle that's in bad shape, use corner bead to form a crisp new profile under your new paint.

The lost art of Victorian plaster details is making a comeback - in a new form. Modern manufacturers are finding ways to reproduce cornice moldings, friezes, corbels, brackets, rosettes, and ceiling medallions, using lightweight polymers. Less prone to damage than plaster, polymer details are flexible, paintable, easy to ship, and they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

For a rich wall treatment that's truly unique, find out more about marmorino plaster. Developed in 16th-century venice as a lightweight alternative to marble, this mix of marble dust and plaster with custom pigments requires two coats, a waxy finish, and lots of elbow grease, but the results can be spectacular.