diff --git a/ionic/components/app/colors.scss b/ionic/components/app/colors.scss
index 0147555f31..c42a35a602 100644
--- a/ionic/components/app/colors.scss
+++ b/ionic/components/app/colors.scss
@@ -56,3 +56,11 @@ $colors: (
 
 
 ) !default;
+
+
+
+// Placeholder Colors
+// --------------------------------------------------
+// Default colors which are meant to be overridden
+
+$placeholder-background:      #f9f9f9 !default;
diff --git a/ionic/components/tabs/extensions/ios.scss b/ionic/components/tabs/extensions/ios.scss
index b78312eca9..a759ee69ed 100644
--- a/ionic/components/tabs/extensions/ios.scss
+++ b/ionic/components/tabs/extensions/ios.scss
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 $tab-bar-ios-item-padding:             0px 10px !default;
 $tab-bar-ios-item-font-size:           10px !default;
 $tab-bar-ios-item-icon-size:           30px !default;
-$tab-bar-ios-height:                   49px !default;
+$tab-bar-ios-height:                   50px !default;
 
 
 .tabs[mode="ios"] {
@@ -22,11 +22,15 @@ $tab-bar-ios-height:                   49px !default;
 
   .tab-button-text {
     font-size: $tab-bar-ios-item-font-size;
+    min-height: $tab-bar-ios-item-font-size + 1;
   }
 
   .tab-button-icon {
     font-size: $tab-bar-ios-item-icon-size;
     height: $tab-bar-ios-item-icon-size;
+    min-width: $tab-bar-ios-item-icon-size;
+    margin-bottom: 2px;
+
     &:before {
       vertical-align: top;
     }
diff --git a/ionic/components/tabs/tabs.scss b/ionic/components/tabs/tabs.scss
index 983d556da0..d01c8d3a9a 100644
--- a/ionic/components/tabs/tabs.scss
+++ b/ionic/components/tabs/tabs.scss
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@
 // Tabs
 // --------------------------------------------------
 
-$tab-bar-background-color:         #f7f7f8 !default;
+$tab-bar-background-color:         $placeholder-background !default;
 
+$tab-button-text-inactive:         #8c8c8c !default;
+$tab-button-text-active:           get-color(primary, base) !default;
 $tab-button-padding:               10px !default;
 $tab-button-min-width:             80px !default;
 $tab-button-max-width:             160px !default;
@@ -72,6 +74,8 @@ button.tab-button {
   cursor: pointer;
   user-select: none;
 
+
+  color: $tab-button-text-inactive;
   border: 0;
   border-radius: 0;
   background: none;
@@ -119,10 +123,6 @@ button.tab-button {
   display: none;
 }
 
-button.tab-button:hover {
-  opacity: 0.8;
-}
-
 button.tab-button[aria-selected="true"] {
   // Default color is primary
   color: get-color(primary, base);
diff --git a/ionic/components/tabs/test/advanced/tabs.html b/ionic/components/tabs/test/advanced/tabs.html
index b1c0e71514..4080f8d982 100644
--- a/ionic/components/tabs/test/advanced/tabs.html
+++ b/ionic/components/tabs/test/advanced/tabs.html
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 
 <ion-tabs>
-  <ion-tab tab-title="Tab 1" tab-icon="ion-home" [root]="tab1Root"></ion-tab>
-  <ion-tab tab-title="Tab 2" tab-icon="ion-star" [root]="tab2Root"></ion-tab>
+  <ion-tab tab-title="Heart" tab-icon="ion-ios-heart-outline" [root]="tab1Root"></ion-tab>
+  <ion-tab tab-title="Star" tab-icon="ion-ios-star-outline" [root]="tab2Root"></ion-tab>
+  <ion-tab tab-title="Stopwatch" tab-icon="ion-ios-stopwatch-outline" [root]="tab2Root"></ion-tab>
+  <ion-tab tab-title="Gear" tab-icon="ion-ios-gear-outline" [root]="tab2Root"></ion-tab>
 </ion-tabs>
diff --git a/ionic/components/toolbar/toolbar.scss b/ionic/components/toolbar/toolbar.scss
index 088d731470..f4c8b2fb32 100644
--- a/ionic/components/toolbar/toolbar.scss
+++ b/ionic/components/toolbar/toolbar.scss
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@ $toolbar-order: (
   secondary: 40
 );
 
-
-$toolbar-background:                    #f4f4f4 !default;
+$toolbar-background:                    $placeholder-background !default;
 $toolbar-button-text-color:             #007aff !default;
 $toolbar-title-text-color:              #000 !default;