diff --git a/config.yml b/config.yml
index 86a3ee3..f92696d 100644
--- a/config.yml
+++ b/config.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ run-charts:
         script: curl -o /dev/null -s -w '%{time_total}'  http://example.com
     refresh-rate-ms: 300
     time-scale-sec: 1
-    style: dots/lines
     position:
       x: 0
       y: 0
@@ -22,8 +21,6 @@ run-charts:
       - label: posts
         script: mongo --quiet --host=localhost blog --eval "db.getCollection('post').find({}).size()" | grep 2
         color: 3
-    refresh-rate-ms: 200
-    time-scale-sec: 1
     position:
       x: 15
       y: 0
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index ca21b67..21c4621 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -26,8 +26,10 @@ type RunChart struct {
 func Load(location string) *Config {
 
 	cfg := readFile(location)
-	validate(cfg)
-	setColors(cfg)
+	cfg.validate()
+	cfg.setDefaultValues()
+	cfg.setDefaultColors()
+	cfg.setDefaultLayout()
 
 	return cfg
 }
@@ -48,26 +50,3 @@ func readFile(location string) *Config {
 
 	return cfg
 }
-
-/*
- TODO validation
- - title uniquness and mandatory within a single type of widget
- - label uniqueness and mandatory (if > 1 data bullets)
-*/
-func validate(config *Config) {
-
-}
-
-func setColors(config *Config) {
-
-	palette := settings.GetPalette(config.Theme)
-
-	for i, chart := range config.RunCharts {
-		for j, item := range chart.Items {
-			if item.Color == 0 {
-				item.Color = palette.Colors[i+j]
-				chart.Items[j] = item
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/config/default.go b/config/default.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..641e88a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/default.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package config
+
+import "github.com/sqshq/vcmd/settings"
+
+const (
+	defaultRefreshRateMs = 300
+	defaultTimeScaleSec  = 1
+	defaultTheme         = settings.ThemeDark
+)
+
+func (self *Config) setDefaultValues() {
+
+	if len(self.Theme) == 0 {
+		self.Theme = defaultTheme
+	}
+
+	for i, chart := range self.RunCharts {
+		if chart.RefreshRateMs == 0 {
+			chart.RefreshRateMs = defaultRefreshRateMs
+		}
+		if chart.TimeScaleSec == 0 {
+			chart.TimeScaleSec = defaultTimeScaleSec
+		}
+		self.RunCharts[i] = chart
+	}
+}
+
+func (config *Config) setDefaultLayout() {
+
+}
+
+func (config *Config) setDefaultColors() {
+
+	palette := settings.GetPalette(config.Theme)
+
+	for i, chart := range config.RunCharts {
+		for j, item := range chart.Items {
+			if item.Color == 0 {
+				item.Color = palette.Colors[i+j]
+				chart.Items[j] = item
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/config/validator.go b/config/validator.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f2f706
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/validator.go
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+package config
+
+/*
+ TODO validation
+ - title uniquness and mandatory within a single type of widget
+ - label uniqueness and mandatory (if > 1 data bullets)
+*/
+func (self *Config) validate() {
+
+}