diff --git a/Sources/SwiftWebUI/Modifiers/BackgroundModifier.swift b/Sources/SwiftWebUI/Modifiers/BackgroundModifier.swift
index 0176e05..0ad3b88 100644
--- a/Sources/SwiftWebUI/Modifiers/BackgroundModifier.swift
+++ b/Sources/SwiftWebUI/Modifiers/BackgroundModifier.swift
@@ -36,8 +36,20 @@ public struct BackgroundModifier: ViewModifier {
     let child = context.currentBuilder.buildTree(for: view, in: context)
     context.deleteLastElementIDComponent()
     
-    return HTMLBackgroundNode(elementID: context.currentElementID,
-                              value: value, content: child)
+    var styles: CSSStyles? {
+      switch ( value.color, value.cornerRadius ) {
+        case ( .some(let color), .some(let cornerRadius) ):
+          return [ .backgroundColor: color, .borderRadius: cornerRadius ]
+        case ( .some(let color), .none ):
+          return [ .backgroundColor: color ]
+        case ( .none, .some(let cornerRadius) ):
+          return [ .borderRadius: cornerRadius ]
+        case ( .none, .none ):
+          return nil
+      }
+    }
+    
+    return HTMLStylePatchingNode.patch(child, withStyles: styles ?? [:], andElementID: context.currentElementID)
   }
   
 }
diff --git a/Sources/SwiftWebUI/Modifiers/ShadowModifier.swift b/Sources/SwiftWebUI/Modifiers/ShadowModifier.swift
index 7fbde9b..f1d578d 100644
--- a/Sources/SwiftWebUI/Modifiers/ShadowModifier.swift
+++ b/Sources/SwiftWebUI/Modifiers/ShadowModifier.swift
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ public struct ShadowModifier: ViewModifier {
         let child = context.currentBuilder.buildTree(for: view, in: context)
         context.deleteLastElementIDComponent()
         
-        return HTMLShadowNode(elementID: context.currentElementID,
-                              value: value, content: child)
+        return HTMLStylePatchingNode.patch(child, withStyles: [.boxShadow : value], andElementID: context.currentElementID)
       }
 }
diff --git a/Sources/SwiftWebUI/VirtualDOM/Layout/HTMLStylePatchingNode.swift b/Sources/SwiftWebUI/VirtualDOM/Layout/HTMLStylePatchingNode.swift
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2d6e4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Sources/SwiftWebUI/VirtualDOM/Layout/HTMLStylePatchingNode.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+//
+//  File.swift
+//  
+//
+//  Created by SamuelIH on 9/15/20.
+//
+
+import Foundation
+
+/// A node used to patch styles on an existing tree.
+///
+/// This node is generally used for "visual" modifiers such as `shadow` and `backgroundColor`, because these affect visual appearances and not frame layout.
+/// Rather then directly initializing this struct, consider using the static `patch` function, as it will automatically hook in to existing style patching nodes:
+///
+///     // from ShadowModifier.swift
+///     return HTMLStylePatchingNode.patch
+///     (
+///       child,
+///       withStyles   : [.boxShadow : value],
+///       andElementID : context.currentElementID
+///     )
+struct HTMLStylePatchingNode: HTMLWrappingNode {
+    
+    let elementID : ElementID
+    var value     : CSSStyles
+    let content   : HTMLTreeNode
+    
+    
+    /// Patches the existing node with the new styles provided
+    ///
+    /// This function will wrap  the `node` with an `HTMLStylePatchingNode` and patch in the new styles. However, if the `node` is *already* an `HTMLStylePatchingNode`, it will attempt to combine the styles into one node. Please note that if the existing styles conflict with the new ones provided, this will create a **new** style patching node, and wrap it around the existing one.
+    /// - Parameters:
+    ///   - node: The node to be wrapped. It may not be wrapped if it's already an `HTMLStylePatchingNode`
+    ///   - withStyles: The styles to patch it with
+    /// - Returns: An `HTMLStylePatchingNode` either a new one or a merged, existing one.
+    static func patch(_ node: HTMLTreeNode, withStyles: CSSStyles, andElementID elementID: ElementID) -> HTMLStylePatchingNode {
+        
+        if var existingPatch = node as? HTMLStylePatchingNode {
+            if !existingPatch.value.keys.contains(where: withStyles.keys.contains) {
+                // no conflict between the two patch nodes
+                // now we merge them
+                existingPatch.value = existingPatch.value.merging(withStyles) { (_, new) in new }
+                return existingPatch
+            }
+        }
+        
+        return HTMLStylePatchingNode(elementID: elementID, value: withStyles, content: node)
+    }
+    
+    func nodeByApplyingNewContent(_ newContent: HTMLTreeNode) -> Self {
+        return HTMLStylePatchingNode(elementID: elementID, value: value, content: newContent)
+    }
+    
+    public func dump(nesting: Int) {
+        let indent = String(repeating: "  ", count: nesting)
+        let info =
+            value.map { (k,v) in
+                return " \(k.rawValue)=\(v.cssStringValue)"
+            }
+            .joined()
+        
+        print("\(indent)<StylePatch: \(elementID) \(info)>")
+        content.dump(nesting: nesting + 1)
+        print("\(indent)</StylePatch>")
+    }
+    
+    func generateHTML(into html: inout String) {
+        html += "<div"
+        html.appendAttribute("id", elementID.webID)
+        if let v = value.cssStringValue { html.appendAttribute("style", v) }
+        html += ">"
+        
+        defer { html += "</div>" }
+        
+        content.generateHTML(into: &html)
+    }
+    
+    func generateChanges(from   oldNode : HTMLTreeNode,
+                         into changeset : inout [ HTMLChange ],
+                         in     context : TreeStateContext)
+    {
+        guard let oldNode = sameType(oldNode, &changeset) else { return }
+        
+        if oldNode.value.cssStringValue != value.cssStringValue {
+            changeset.append(.setAttribute(webID: elementID.webID, attribute: "style",
+                                           value: value.cssStringValue ?? ""))
+        }
+
+        content.generateChanges(from: oldNode.content, into: &changeset,
+                                in: context)
+    }
+}