Backdrop Paint Review

About Backdrop

Calling all cool, hip, millennial-Gen-Zers. Backdrop is a brand of paint that was made for and by young people that is sold online. 

They’re a newer company, only 3 years old, but they already have a combined following of 63k+ on Instagram and Facebook and have been talked about in The New York Times, Forbes, Architectural Digest, CNN, Martha Stewart Living, GQ, and The Cut.

This Backdrop paint review will provide all the important info about the brand: what they’re all about, pros and cons, bestseller paints, FAQs, and customer reviews. Hold onto your brushes, we’re going in.

Overview of Backdrop

Happily married millennials Natalie and Caleb Ebel were pregnant with their first child when they began planning what would later become the successful Backdrop.

In 2018, the LA-based company launched, and with it, a mission to make painting a seamless, anyone-can-do-it type of deal. Part of that ease is the online Backdrop paint calculator that helps you estimate how much paint you need for your DIY fun.

The vision was a paint brand with a reasonable amount of colors to choose from, just over 50 shades instead of thousands you’ll never be able to sort through. This is a definite pro for those with analysis paralysis, otherwise known as Can’t Decide Syndrome.

Before we take a look at what else the brand has to offer, this Backdrop paint review will go over some of their pros and cons:

Pros

• 50+ unique paint colors with low odor and VOC
• Vegan and cruelty-free
• Positive customer reviews on product quality and customer service
• Climate Neutral Certified
• Greenwise Certified
• Financing options available via Afterpay
• Trade Program

Cons

• Less variety of colors than other brands (only a con if you love lots of options)
• No international shipping
• No free returns
• On the pricier end of the paint market

Backdrop Paint Review

Backdrop paint comes in 50+ colors and dries to touch in an hour. If you like the sound of that, check out these shades that just might tickle your design inspiration.

These colors are all Backdrop Standard paint for interiors, meaning semi-matte acrylic resin with minimal smells and VOC, easy application, big pigment, and smooth, gorgeous strokes.

Most of these bad boys come at the price of $59 per gallon unless stated otherwise.

Backdrop 36 Hours in Marrakesh Review 

Backdrop 36 Hours in Marrakech is a mauve pink that evokes feelings of drinking an evening tea while you watch the sunset in the cultural hub that is this Moroccan city. 

Described as “earthy,” it’s richer than your everyday, feminine pink. She’s not like other girls. While she might have made the rounds in many Kasbahs, her rich coloring leaves nothing to be desired.

36 Hours in Marrakech would look perfect for a bedroom or living room because of those warm, inviting feels. 

Backdrop Skywalker Review 

The Backdrop Skywalker colors that make up this shade are blue and green, all nice, light, and pastel-like. Made in a galaxy far, far away and delivered right to your doorstep, this paint is easy to apply and spaceship-friendly.

This cool-toned shade is one that would be fun to have arguments with guests about: is it green? Is it blue? Is it turquoise? Is it a figment of our imagination? Who knows. What we do know is that it looks simply stunning and has a great name.

For a warmer, richer color with more definitive emphasis on the green, add to cart the Backdrop Lawnparty and thank us later.

Backdrop Dark Arts Review 

This Backdrop black has the coolest name possible—Dark Arts—and is also probably the most straightforward shade: simply black. Just a super dark, rich black. Think outer space abyss. Or, perhaps more appropriately, a dungeon at Hogwarts.

We’re not saying that Professor Snape would’ve painted all of his walls and furniture with this particular shade of paint, but we’re also not not saying it. For a paint that would be bought even while not under the influence of the Imperius curse, check out the Dark Arts.

Backdrop Modern Love Review

Is anyone else hearing Hall & Oates? No, just us? Ok, then. Modern Love is a pale pink that is the exact shade of butterfly wings you get in your stomach whenever your crush talks to you.

Leaning more towards warm than cool, the color is a versatile one that would work for a number of different spaces in the house. It’s chill, not too loud, in the background, and only mildly feminine.

If it doesn’t quite fit your vibe, no worries! Check out the Backdrop Rose Quartz paint shade, a slightly darker, warm-toned pink.

Backdrop West Coast Ghost Review

West Coast Ghost is not only a description of Casper if he became an LA influencer, but also a cool-toned, light gray paint shade. Backdrop doesn’t have a gray that’s lighter than this one and they don’t even need to; this paint has it all when it comes to all things cool and breezy.

If you like the shade but not the semi-matte Standard Finish, the other Backdrop West Coast paints are Semi-Gloss Finish in interior and exterior versions.

Backdrop Blue Is The Coolest Color Review

Blue Is The Coolest Color is a bright, unapologetic blue that is positively vibrant yet relaxing. They say that blue is a calming color, so this would be great for a living room, bedroom, or even a bathroom because of the easily accessible bathtub-ocean vibes.

This ​​blue Backdrop paint is more expensive at $65 per gallon. Turns out blue isn’t just the coolest color but also the priciest.

Backdrop Cool Moon Review

Backdrop Cool Moon is a cool-toned white that isn’t quite pure, pure, white-as-snow white. It’s white, but it’s slightly darker than Supermoon, the brand’s purest white. 

Still, you wouldn’t look at a wall of Cool Moon and think, “this is grey.” ‘Cause it’s white, and a no-nonsense, agreeable shade that goes with just about everything you want to pair with it.

Backdrop Tanlines Review

 Backdrop Tanlines is a warm, dark mustard yellow, almost an orangey-brown if you look hard enough. Despite the name, this bold color goes great by itself on an entire wall; no secondary paints needed.

This color gives off fall vibes, sprinkled in with an Anthropologie haul and a warm hug.

If you’re looking for a lighter tan, check out the best of Backdrop mood paints, AKA Mood Lighting, a lighter yellow/beige color.

Backdrop Essence of Nightshade Review

Backdrop Essence of Nightshade is a dark purple, slightly pale so that it might also look a little grey under the right lighting. 

It’s a warm-toned color that is unique and eye-catching while still staying in its rightful place, the backdrop.

How Long Does Backdrop Paint Take To Dry?

Our Backdrop paint review found that the products are designed to dry quickly so you can get on with your life: you can’t touch the painted surface for 1 hour, and to paint a second coat, wait 3-4 hours. Also, wait 2 weeks before you wash the surface.

Who Is Backdrop For? 

If their collaboration with Dunkin’ Donuts isn’t enough to convince you that Backdrop is marketed to young people who can’t get enough of iced coffee, then we don’t know what is. 

Still, don’t get the wrong idea. You very much need to “keep out of reach of children.” So you can’t be too young.

In all seriousness, Backdrop is targeted to a younger crowd, but suitable to anybody who wants to paint their house, since it is just paint after all. #NoGatekeepingPaint.

Comparison: Backdrop vs. Clare 

These two brands get confused quite a bit. It’s hard to discern off the cuff what makes them different, so let’s make this simple, no venn diagram necessary. 

Backdrop and Clare have these qualities in common:

1. Millennial-targeted paint brands
2. Most are $59 a gallon
3. Self-priming and thick
4. Limited number of colors
5. Sustainability certified

Clare differs in these ways:

1. Only sells interior paint
2. Fewer supplies offered
3. More paint colors to choose from (60+)
4. Can design is standard
5. GREENGUARD Gold Certified; not Climate Neutral or Greenwise Certified

Clare seems to be more for people who like more choices, are only looking for interior paint, and aren’t as concerned with buying all their supplies from the same store. Backdrop is better for people who care about brands being Climate Neutral and want interior and/or exterior paint.

To learn more about this brand check out our full Clare Paint Review.

Backdrop Reviews: What Do Customers Think?

Our Backdrop paint review has given you info on the brand and their products, but do you know what would really help your buying decision?

Customer reviews. Think of this section as the second coat of paint. You might not need it, but you want it at the end of the day. It makes things more solid and certain. And in this case, it’s pretty to look at.

Reminder: the company is still a toddler at 3-years old, so not many people have much to say about this still-waddling, still-being-introduced-to-the-world company. But the limited number of testimonials we did find are from the brand site, Facebook, and Amazon. Time to dive in.

Firstly, the brand site is filled with love, love, love. There aren’t individual product ratings for the bestsellers mentioned in our Backdrop paint review, just the overall rating for the Standard Finish: 4.95/5 stars. Safe to say people like the stuff.

Customers especially loved how the user-friendly can design makes it “easier to pour from than typical paint cans” and easier to clean, too. The paint itself releases “no headache-inducing fumes,” thank goodness.

The ordering process is smooth as fresh paint because of the “very responsive customer service” and quick shipping.

A customer who wasn’t satisfied with the color they received—claiming it looked different IRL than online—was instead satisfied with the return policy:

“As a company they were fantastic in handling my return. It was fast, easy, and the packaging was excellent.”

Let’s talk paint-specific reviews. West Coast Ghost “pairs with everything” and, according to this customer, works for any skill level or lack thereof:

“…even a horrible painter like me can apply this stuff and it looks SO GOOD on the walls! If something I painted looks good, it’s 100% because the paint is such good quality.”

This next Backdrop paint review of the shade Cool Moon shows the impact of an awesome paint job:

“It feels like a brand new space and the color is the ultimate shade of bright white. It looks incredibly elevated and reflects light beautifully. The paint dried SO fast and barely left a smell. I slept in my bedroom the same night it was painted and had no issues.”

On Facebook, the brand has 4.2/5 stars from 5 reviews. (Again, new company, so not many reviews in total.)

Customers said Backdrop paint is an “easy way to transform a room” with just “one coat coverage and no odor!” Exclamation point included.

The paints are “thick” and high-end quality, they live up to the price tag, and they arrive “super fast” in as little as 24 hours or less. Customer service is kind and quick, an absolute cherry on top of an already great exchange.

Also, DIY painters were grateful for Backdrop’s samples process:

“I liked the packaging. I really liked the sample stickers and being able to put them on the wall to be able to see what it looked like beforehand. I also appreciated the limited color choices because the endless colors in home improvement stores is overwhelming for me.”

On Amazon, customers left 5-star reviews for Supermoon. According to these buyers, the easy-pour can design is also great for saving leftovers, leaving no waste.

Enthusiastic fans said this brand “puts all other paint companies to shame,” some truly high praise in the market. You understand why customers say these things when you read a Backdrop paint review like this one about Supermoon:

“I’m amazed at how much this transformed our living room – it’s a beautiful white and the semi-matte looks great! … I would highly recommend Backdrop – fantastic colors & great quality. You won’t be disappointed.”

In every aspect—pigment, cover, ease, mess or lack thereof—customers love these paints. Both off and on the brand site, people are raving. Overall, customers love Backdrop.

Is Backdrop Worth It?

Heck yes, the millennial-driven Backdrop brand is worth it. After sifting through reviews that were shining (not even semi-matte, just full-on shiny), it’s hard to find a reason not to try the brand out: paint is thick, highly pigmented, innovatively designed, and shipping is quick.

Okay, yes, the small downsides: no international shipping, no free returns, and they’re pricier than brands you can find at Home Depot, but if you can afford Backdrop, go for it. 

Try the samples, but this Backdrop paint review reminds you that they’re swatches and not actual working paint.

Backdrop Promotions & Discounts 

We looked all around and under the couch cushions for some deals, and this is what we found:

• Buy 4 gallons of paint to get $20 off
• Trade Program: if you’re in the paint, design, architecture, etc industry, you are eligible for exclusive deals and discount codes

It’s not much, but it’s something. For updates on the latest Backdrop sales, follow them on social media and sign up for their newsletter.

Where to Buy Backdrop

At this moment in time, it seems like you can only buy Backdrop on the website, backdrophome.com.

They used to sell at Urban Outfitters and Amazon, but right now, they aren’t available for purchase at those retailers.

FAQ

Where is Backdrop made? 

Our Backdrop paint review didn’t find a definitive answer of where they’re made, but we do know that the brand is based in LA, California, USA.

What is Backdrop’s Shipping Policy?

Backdrop ships to the continental US (sorry to Alaska and Hawaii). When your order ships with one of the below methods, you’ll receive tracking info to stay up to date on where your paint is.

Paint Standard Shipping:

• Delivery in 1-3 business days
• $5 flat fee 
• Free for orders over $75 

For paint samples:

• $2 Samples Standard Shipping – 3-5 business days
• $5 FedEx Ground Shipping – 1-3 business days

If these methods aren’t quick enough and you need overnight delivery, send an email to [email protected].

What is Backdrop’s Return Policy?

Our Backdrop paint review found that you can only return unused, unopened products.

When you do so, your refund will be short $10 per gallon as a restocking fee. Samples are final sale.

How to Contact Backdrop

To contact the brand, simply shoot them an email at [email protected].

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Looking for more options? Then check out Clare, a direct-to-consumer interior paint company that has shaken up the traditional painting experience.