On May 18, 1947, the Retail Paint and Wallpaper Distributors of America (RPWDA) was announced in Chicago, Illinois, to represent retail paint and wallpaper distributors throughout the country. The following year, the first RPWDA trade show was held in Chicago.

While the mission to support the independents was continuous, the association name changed throughout the years before finally becoming the Paint & Decorating Retailers Association in 1996. Decorating Retailer Magazine printed its first copies in September 1964, and in 1965, the association launched its first correspondence training program, a 15-manual course endorsed by Indiana University.

The association began offering key benefits to members, established the Marketing Institute and partnered with Better Homes & Garden to promote paint and wallpaper stores to consumers in the 1960s. In 1962, the name changed to the Paint & Wallpaper Association of America (PWAA) and then again in 1972 to the National Decorating Products Association (NDPA).

In 1993, the association founded the NDPA Educational Foundation. In 1996, the National Decorating Products Association changed its name to Paint & Decorating Retailers Association (PDRA) and Decorating Retailer Magazine became Paint & Decorating Retailer.

During the early 2000s, the association combined its trade show with the National Hardware Show, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the magazine and published a consumer paint and decor special interest publication. 

In 2017, PDRA announced an alliance with NRHA to increase support to independents. During this time, NRHA changed its name to the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) to reflect the new era for both organizations. 

Walk through the organization’s full timeline here.