At the turn of the 20th century, plaster was the most popular interior wall covering in North America, and it remained so for the next several decades. But things have changed since then.

If you’re hanging or mounting heavy items on your walls, such as mirrors or flat-screen TVs, you need to attach them to a stud—the wooden or metal beams that make up your home’s framing.

An curved arrow pointing right. SherDecor in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, specializes in interior design, using Venetian plaster to create walls that resemble marble. The process involves applying putty ...