"Bullnosed" or Rounded Corners

A common upgrade in new homes, replacing square cornered walls and windows with rounded ones will instantly update any home. Finishing circular windows and curved archways this way is an especially attractive touch.

Hide Flaws

Over time, walls can get so banged up or gouged that no amount of patching or painting can hide the damage that makes a home look old and worn. You can also hide undesirable features behind new drywall. A good example is enclosing an outdated masonry fireplace constructed with odd colored bricks or massive stones. This will modernize, lighten, and increase the decorating options in rooms previously overwhelmed by the fireplace.

Room Separation

Drywall can also be used to separate the combination living/dining rooms creatively. Building an arch with or without columns can divide a room without sacrificing space. Adding a false "header" to create an arch or overhead plant shelf divides the room. This technique works well on vaulted ceilings without making the room look "cut up."

Ceilings

In the dining room, create a lovely effect with sculptured ceilings. Replacing sprayed acoustic ceilings with textured drywall enables homeowners to clean, paint and apply crown molding or other special trim to their ceilings.

Texture

Walls and ceilings can be finished in many different ways. Retexturing or smoothing them can freshen and modernize older homes or even return the original character to period homes that may have been carelessly remodeled. Changing old- fashioned styles of texture (such as skip & trowel or brushed) can significantly freshen and update a 30-year-old home. On the other hand, covering those styles of texture with a new layer of hand-troweled joint compound to resemble plaster could restore the charm to a 1900 Victorian. Custom textures and treatments, such as combining textured walls with totally smooth ceilings, make a home look unique.

by Kathy Maynard, reprinted courtesy of HomeAdvisor.com