An overview of plaster tools and repair techniques.

Scenic wallpapers are on the comeback! Here's a curated collection of some of our favorite places to find the perfect scenic wallpaper or panoramas for your classic home.

Calcimine, old papers, peeling paint! Preparing the plaster substrate is the key to a good paint or wallpaper finish. In an old house, it’s not always an easy job: surprises likely lurk behind the recent latex and that floral vinyl upstairs.

The craft of ornamental plaster is a wondrous thing, especially to the uninitiated. Here’s what you need to know about this historic medium.

A mould knife is a metal template cut with the reverse profile of the moulding to be created or restored.

Here’s how the pros make custom decorative plaster medallions and close reproductions.

When you can't find the right ogee molding off the shelf, here's how to make it.

Faux finishing once was practiced by every house painter and many householders, who used inexpensive materials and simple techniques involving glazes, sponges, rags, and crumpled paper.

"If only it turned out to be a simple haunting, with footsteps and rattling chains!" –Deb Botti

Plaster in a historic building is like a family album. The handwriting of the artisans, the taste of the original occupants, and the evolving styles of decoration are embodied in the fabric of the building. From modest farmhouses to great buildings, regardless of the ethnic origins of the occupants, plaster has traditionally been used to finish interior walls.

Post & beam joinery.

Although Stucco is a durable exterior surface, on occasion it needs to be repaired.

Learn to replicate small sections of molding using a technique borrowed from plasterers.

Picking the right wallpaper is easy with a little historical understanding.

Revive failing plaster with this straightforward repair process.

Make your own version of this classic profile with just a few simple tools.

We show you how to install a wallpaper frieze to add character to your room.

How to repair plaster that's failing.

Textured plaster was common in many Spanish and Tudor interiors in the early 20th century. An expert shows how to re-create this lost art in your own home.

By popular request, an introduction to historical wallpaper, including skills you can pick up in one room-sized project.

Old-house walls often fail through no fault of their own. Use these tips to correctly repair the cracks in your old home.

A quick guide to avoiding the most common pitfalls of wallpapering.

Three ways to fix these quick-peeling surfaces.

What to do about rust on a tin ceiling and peeling calcimine paint.