diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,19 @@
 Brick changelog
 ---------------
 
+0.28
+----
+
+API changes:
+ * Brick.AttrMap.setDefault was renamed to setDefaultAttr.
+ * Added Brick.AttrMap.getDefaultAttr: get the default attribute from an
+   attribute map.
+ * Added Brick.Widgets.Core.modifyDefAttr to modify the default
+   attribute of the rendering context.
+
+Other changes:
+ * Updated AttrDemo to show usage of modifyDefAttr.
+
 0.27
 ----
 
diff --git a/brick.cabal b/brick.cabal
--- a/brick.cabal
+++ b/brick.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                brick
-version:             0.27
+version:             0.28
 synopsis:            A declarative terminal user interface library
 description:
   Write terminal applications painlessly with 'brick'! You write an
diff --git a/programs/AttrDemo.hs b/programs/AttrDemo.hs
--- a/programs/AttrDemo.hs
+++ b/programs/AttrDemo.hs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
   , vBox
   , str
   , hyperlink
+  , modifyDefAttr
   )
 import Brick.Util (on, fg)
 import Brick.AttrMap (attrMap, AttrMap)
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@
          , str " "
          , hyperlink "http://www.google.com/" $
            str "This text is also hyperlinked in terminals that support hyperlinking."
+         , str " "
+         , modifyDefAttr (`withURL` "http://www.google.com/") $
+           str "This text is hyperlinked by modifying the default attribute."
          ]
 
 globalDefault :: Attr
diff --git a/src/Brick/AttrMap.hs b/src/Brick/AttrMap.hs
--- a/src/Brick/AttrMap.hs
+++ b/src/Brick/AttrMap.hs
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@
   -- * Finding attributes from names
   , attrMapLookup
   -- * Manipulating attribute maps
-  , setDefault
+  , setDefaultAttr
+  , getDefaultAttr
   , applyAttrMappings
   , mergeWithDefault
   , mapAttrName
@@ -145,9 +146,14 @@
     in foldl combineAttrs theDefault results
 
 -- | Set the default attribute value in an attribute map.
-setDefault :: Attr -> AttrMap -> AttrMap
-setDefault _ (ForceAttr a) = ForceAttr a
-setDefault newDefault (AttrMap _ m) = AttrMap newDefault m
+setDefaultAttr :: Attr -> AttrMap -> AttrMap
+setDefaultAttr _ (ForceAttr a) = ForceAttr a
+setDefaultAttr newDefault (AttrMap _ m) = AttrMap newDefault m
+
+-- | Get the default attribute value in an attribute map.
+getDefaultAttr :: AttrMap -> Attr
+getDefaultAttr (ForceAttr a) = a
+getDefaultAttr (AttrMap d _) = d
 
 combineAttrs :: Attr -> Attr -> Attr
 combineAttrs (Attr s1 f1 b1 u1) (Attr s2 f2 b2 u2) =
diff --git a/src/Brick/Widgets/Core.hs b/src/Brick/Widgets/Core.hs
--- a/src/Brick/Widgets/Core.hs
+++ b/src/Brick/Widgets/Core.hs
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 
   -- * Attribute management
   , withDefAttr
+  , modifyDefAttr
   , withAttr
   , forceAttr
   , overrideAttr
@@ -274,7 +275,7 @@
     Widget (hSize p) (vSize p) $ do
         c <- getContext
         let attr = attrMapLookup (c^.ctxAttrNameL) (c^.ctxAttrMapL) `V.withURL` url
-        withReaderT (& ctxAttrMapL %~ setDefault attr) (render p)
+        withReaderT (& ctxAttrMapL %~ setDefaultAttr attr) (render p)
 
 -- | Pad the specified widget on the left. If max padding is used, this
 -- grows greedily horizontally; otherwise it defers to the padded
@@ -588,12 +589,22 @@
 
 -- | Update the attribute map while rendering the specified widget: set
 -- its new default attribute to the one that we get by looking up the
+-- specified attribute name in the map and then modifying it with the
+-- specified function.
+modifyDefAttr :: (V.Attr -> V.Attr) -> Widget n -> Widget n
+modifyDefAttr f p =
+    Widget (hSize p) (vSize p) $ do
+        c <- getContext
+        withReaderT (& ctxAttrMapL %~ (setDefaultAttr (f $ getDefaultAttr (c^.ctxAttrMapL)))) (render p)
+
+-- | Update the attribute map while rendering the specified widget: set
+-- its new default attribute to the one that we get by looking up the
 -- specified attribute name in the map.
 withDefAttr :: AttrName -> Widget n -> Widget n
 withDefAttr an p =
     Widget (hSize p) (vSize p) $ do
         c <- getContext
-        withReaderT (& ctxAttrMapL %~ (setDefault (attrMapLookup an (c^.ctxAttrMapL)))) (render p)
+        withReaderT (& ctxAttrMapL %~ (setDefaultAttr (attrMapLookup an (c^.ctxAttrMapL)))) (render p)
 
 -- | When rendering the specified widget, update the attribute map with
 -- the specified transformation.