DEAR DESIGNER: We recently moved into an old house. One of the bedrooms has fancy plasterwork on the walls that is dated and busy. What can I do to hide it? Tearing down the wall is not an option at ...

When you install fresh drywall, it's tempting to jump straight to painting. After all, fresh surfaces are a blank canvas, right? Uh, not quite. Before that first coat goes on, primer is a must.