diff --git a/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/area.js b/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/area.js
index 9d0c8bb515dfa..5ed68ec354348 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/area.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/area.js
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ export default function PointSeriesVisType(Private) {
       defaults: {
         type: 'area',
         grid: {
-          categoryLines: false,
+          categoryLines: true,
+          valueAxis: 'ValueAxis-1',
           style: {
             color: '#eee'
           }
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@ export default function PointSeriesVisType(Private) {
             id: '1'
           },
           drawLinesBetweenPoints: true,
-          showCircles: true,
+          showCircles: false,
           interpolate: 'linear',
           valueAxis: 'ValueAxis-1'
         }],
diff --git a/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/histogram.js b/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/histogram.js
index cfd29461a6e53..57c54e897140c 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/histogram.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/histogram.js
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ export default function PointSeriesVisType(Private) {
       defaults: {
         type: 'histogram',
         grid: {
-          categoryLines: false,
+          categoryLines: true,
+          valueAxis: 'ValueAxis-1',
           style: {
             color: '#eee'
           }
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ export default function PointSeriesVisType(Private) {
             },
             valueAxis: 'ValueAxis-1',
             drawLinesBetweenPoints: true,
-            showCircles: true
+            showCircles: false
           }
         ],
         addTooltip: true,
diff --git a/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/horizontal_bar.js b/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/horizontal_bar.js
index 9a1c8f9daf51b..9844de9f05b6d 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/horizontal_bar.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/horizontal_bar.js
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ export default function PointSeriesVisType(Private) {
       defaults: {
         type: 'histogram',
         grid: {
-          categoryLines: false,
+          categoryLines: true,
+          valueAxis: 'ValueAxis-1',
           style: {
             color: '#eee'
           }
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ export default function PointSeriesVisType(Private) {
           },
           valueAxis: 'ValueAxis-1',
           drawLinesBetweenPoints: true,
-          showCircles: true
+          showCircles: false
         }],
         addTooltip: true,
         addLegend: true,
diff --git a/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/line.js b/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/line.js
index ac8e41c17e21c..22211b55bb5fc 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/line.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/line.js
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ export default function PointSeriesVisType(Private) {
       defaults: {
         type: 'line',
         grid: {
-          categoryLines: false,
+          categoryLines: true,
+          valueAxis: 'ValueAxis-1',
           style: {
             color: '#eee'
           }
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ export default function PointSeriesVisType(Private) {
             },
             valueAxis: 'ValueAxis-1',
             drawLinesBetweenPoints: true,
-            showCircles: true
+            showCircles: false
           }
         ],
         addTooltip: true,
diff --git a/src/core_plugins/timelion/public/panels/timechart/schema.js b/src/core_plugins/timelion/public/panels/timechart/schema.js
index 58a993f31c611..b9f7094757b42 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/timelion/public/panels/timechart/schema.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/timelion/public/panels/timechart/schema.js
@@ -21,9 +21,6 @@ export default function timechartFn(Private, config, $rootScope, timefilter, $co
         // TODO: I wonder if we should supply our own moment that sets this every time?
         // could just use angular's injection to provide a moment service?
         moment.tz.setDefault(config.get('dateFormat:tz'));
-
-        const render = $scope.seriesList.render || {};
-
         $scope.chart = $scope.seriesList.list;
         $scope.interval = $scope.interval;
         $scope.search = $scope.search || _.noop;
@@ -37,10 +34,34 @@ export default function timechartFn(Private, config, $rootScope, timefilter, $co
 
         const defaultOptions = {
           xaxis: {
+            show: true,
+            position: 'bottom',
             mode: 'time',
-            tickLength: 5,
+            tickLength: null,
             timezone: 'browser',
+            font: {
+              size: 14,
+              family: '"Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif',
+              color: '#848e96'
+            }
           },
+          yaxes: [{
+            tickLength: null,
+            font: {
+              size: 14,
+              family: '"Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif',
+              color: '#848e96'
+            }
+          },
+          {
+            tickLength: null,
+            font: {
+              size: 14,
+              family: '"Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif',
+              color: '#848e96'
+            }
+          }
+          ],
           selection: {
             mode: 'x',
             color: '#ccc'
@@ -51,9 +72,14 @@ export default function timechartFn(Private, config, $rootScope, timefilter, $co
             lineWidth: 2
           },
           grid: {
-            show: render.grid,
-            borderWidth: 0,
-            borderColor: null,
+            show: true,
+            borderWidth: {
+              top: 0,
+              right: 0,
+              bottom: 2,
+              left: 2
+            },
+            borderColor: '#D9D9D9',
             margin: 10,
             hoverable: true,
             autoHighlight: false
@@ -219,7 +245,7 @@ export default function timechartFn(Private, config, $rootScope, timefilter, $co
             series = _.cloneDeep(_.defaults(series, {
               shadowSize: 0,
               lines: {
-                lineWidth: 3
+                lineWidth: 2
               }
             }));
             series._id = index;
diff --git a/src/core_plugins/timelion/server/series_functions/yaxis.js b/src/core_plugins/timelion/server/series_functions/yaxis.js
index 69c2c13786195..db90519873411 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/timelion/server/series_functions/yaxis.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/timelion/server/series_functions/yaxis.js
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ export default new Chainable('yaxis', {
       myAxis.position = position || (yaxis % 2 ? 'left' : 'right');
       myAxis.min = min;
       myAxis.max = max;
-      myAxis.axisLabelFontSizePixels = 11;
+      myAxis.axisLabelFontSizePixels = 14;
       myAxis.axisLabel = label;
       myAxis.axisLabelColour = color;
       myAxis.axisLabelUseCanvas = true;
diff --git a/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/axis/axis.js b/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/axis/axis.js
index 55620b63044e7..9ad2341012596 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/axis/axis.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/axis/axis.js
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ export function VislibLibAxisProvider(Private) {
       const style = config.get('style');
       const chartEl = this.visConfig.get('el');
       const position = config.get('position');
-      const axisPadding = 5;
+      const axisPadding = 16;
 
       return function (selection) {
         const text = selection.selectAll('.tick text');
diff --git a/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/axis/axis_config.js b/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/axis/axis_config.js
index f5c99b0fb3cb1..0b968b40d8276 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/axis/axis_config.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/axis/axis_config.js
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ export function VislibLibAxisConfigProvider() {
       mode: SCALE_MODES.NORMAL
     },
     style: {
-      color: '#ddd',
-      lineWidth: '1px',
+      color: '#D9D9D9',
+      lineWidth: '2px',
       opacity: 1,
-      tickColor: '#ddd',
-      tickWidth: '1px',
-      tickLength: '6px',
+      tickColor: '#D9D9D9',
+      tickWidth: '0px',
+      tickLength: '0px',
       rangePadding: 0.1,
       rangeOuterPadding: 0
     },
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ export function VislibLibAxisConfigProvider() {
       rotate: 0,
       rotateAnchor: 'center',
       filter: false,
-      color: '#ddd',
+      color: '#666',
       font: '"Open Sans", "Lato", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif',
-      fontSize: '8pt',
+      fontSize: '14px',
       truncate: 100
     },
     title: {
diff --git a/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/axis/axis_title.js b/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/axis/axis_title.js
index 0bdd36d82ac5d..78502fc92e55a 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/axis/axis_title.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/axis/axis_title.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export function VislibLibAxisTitleProvider() {
           const div = d3.select(el);
           const width = $(el).width();
           const height = $(el).height();
-          const titlePadding = 15;
+          const titlePadding = 16;
           const axisPrefix = config.isHorizontal() ? 'x' : 'y';
 
           const svg = div.append('svg')
@@ -37,16 +37,16 @@ export function VislibLibAxisTitleProvider() {
             .attr('class', `axis-title ${axisPrefix}-axis-title`);
 
           const bbox = svg.append('text')
-          .attr('transform', function () {
-            if (config.isHorizontal()) {
-              return `translate(${width / 2},${titlePadding})`;
-            }
-            return `translate(${titlePadding},${height / 2}) rotate(270)`;
-          })
-          .attr('text-anchor', 'middle')
-          .text(config.get('title.text'))
-          .node()
-          .getBBox();
+            .text(config.get('title.text'))
+            .attr('text-anchor', 'middle')
+            .attr('transform', function () {
+              if (config.isHorizontal()) {
+                return `translate(${width / 2},${titlePadding})`;
+              }
+              return `translate(${titlePadding},${height / 2}) rotate(270)`;
+            })
+            .node()
+            .getBBox();
 
           if (config.isHorizontal()) {
             svg.attr('height', Math.ceil(bbox.height));
diff --git a/src/ui/public/vislib/styles/_layout.less b/src/ui/public/vislib/styles/_layout.less
index 4353f3f000872..63a3ebe87956d 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/vislib/styles/_layout.less
+++ b/src/ui/public/vislib/styles/_layout.less
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
   min-height: 0;
   min-width: 0;
   overflow: hidden;
-  padding: 10px 0;
+  padding: 16px 0;
 }
 
 .vis-wrapper svg {
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@
 }
 
 .y-axis-title text, .x-axis-title text {
-  font-size: 9pt;
+  font-size: 16px;
   fill: @vis-axis-title-color;
-  font-weight: bold;
+  //font-weight: bold;
 }
 
 .chart-title {