diff --git a/common/functions/axisConfig.js b/common/functions/axisConfig.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..80c1e40e24ddb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/functions/axisConfig.js
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+export const axisConfig = () => ({
+  name: 'axisConfig',
+  aliases: [],
+  type: 'axisConfig',
+  context: {
+    types: ['datatable'],
+  },
+  help: 'Configure axis of a visualization',
+  args: {
+    show: {
+      types: ['boolean'],
+      help: 'Show the axis labels?',
+      default: true,
+    },
+    position: {
+      types: ['string'],
+      help: 'Position of the axis labels',
+    },
+  },
+  fn: (context, args) => {
+    return {
+      type: 'axisConfig',
+      ...args,
+    };
+  },
+});
diff --git a/common/functions/index.js b/common/functions/index.js
index 5c0be87521b65..3e79189a57fea 100644
--- a/common/functions/index.js
+++ b/common/functions/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { alterColumn } from './alterColumn';
-import { asFn } from './as.js';
+import { asFn } from './as';
+import { axisConfig } from './axisConfig';
 import { compare } from './compare';
 import { containerStyle } from './containerStyle';
 import { context } from './context';
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ import { timefilterControl } from './timefilterControl';
 export const commonFunctions = [
   alterColumn,
   asFn,
+  axisConfig,
   containerStyle,
   compare,
   columns,
diff --git a/common/functions/plot.js b/common/functions/plot.js
index 8bc2d31745d4f..2e3bda1befae7 100644
--- a/common/functions/plot.js
+++ b/common/functions/plot.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { groupBy, get, set, map, sortBy } from 'lodash';
 import keyBy from 'lodash.keyby';
 import chroma from 'chroma-js';
+import { getType } from '../lib/get_type';
 
 export const plot = () => ({
   name: 'plot',
@@ -38,14 +39,12 @@ export const plot = () => ({
       default: 'nw',
     },
     yaxis: {
-      types: ['boolean'],
-      help: 'Show the y-axis?',
-      default: true,
+      types: ['boolean', 'axisConfig'],
+      help: 'Axis configuration, or false to disable',
     },
     xaxis: {
-      types: ['boolean'],
-      help: 'Show the x-axis?',
-      default: true,
+      types: ['boolean', 'axisConfig'],
+      help: 'Axis configuration, or false to disable',
     },
   },
   fn: (context, args) => {
@@ -68,6 +67,7 @@ export const plot = () => ({
           barWidth: get(seriesStyle, 'bars'),
           fill: 1,
           align: 'center',
+          horizontal: get(seriesStyle, 'horizontalBars', false),
         },
         // This is here intentionally even though it is the default.
         // We use the `size` plugins for this and if the user says they want points
@@ -154,6 +154,23 @@ export const plot = () => ({
       return args.legend;
     }
 
+    function axisConfig(name, argValue) {
+      if (getType(argValue) === 'axisConfig') {
+        // first value is used as the default
+        const acceptedPositions = name === 'x' ? ['bottom', 'top'] : ['left', 'right'];
+
+        const config = { show: true };
+        config.position = acceptedPositions.includes(argValue.position)
+          ? argValue.position
+          : acceptedPositions[0];
+        return config;
+      }
+
+      if (getType(argValue) === 'boolean') return { show: argValue };
+
+      return { show: true };
+    }
+
     const result = {
       type: 'render',
       as: 'plot',
@@ -182,7 +199,7 @@ export const plot = () => ({
             },
           },
           xaxis: {
-            show: args.xaxis,
+            ...axisConfig('x', args.xaxis),
             ticks:
               get(context.columns, 'x.type') === 'string'
                 ? map(ticks.x.hash, (position, name) => [position, name])
@@ -190,7 +207,7 @@ export const plot = () => ({
             mode: get(context.columns, 'x.type') === 'date' ? 'time' : undefined,
           },
           yaxis: {
-            show: args.yaxis,
+            ...axisConfig('y', args.yaxis),
             ticks:
               get(context.columns, 'y.type') === 'string'
                 ? map(ticks.y.hash, (position, name) => [position, name])
diff --git a/common/functions/repeatImage/index.js b/common/functions/repeatImage/index.js
index ba8413fe40643..3b8cc80044055 100644
--- a/common/functions/repeatImage/index.js
+++ b/common/functions/repeatImage/index.js
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ export const repeatImage = () => ({
     },
   },
   fn: (count, args) => {
-    console.log('WTF', count, args);
     return {
       type: 'render',
       as: 'repeatImage',
diff --git a/common/functions/seriesStyle.js b/common/functions/seriesStyle.js
index 9feaec39ca8e6..cb9e3c66c8c29 100644
--- a/common/functions/seriesStyle.js
+++ b/common/functions/seriesStyle.js
@@ -50,6 +50,12 @@ export const seriesStyle = () => ({
       help:
         'Should we stack the series? This is the stack "id". Series with the same stack id will be stacked together',
     },
+    horizontalBars: {
+      types: ['null', 'boolean'],
+      displayName: 'Horizontal Bars Orientation',
+      help: 'Sets the orientation of bars in the chart to horizontal',
+      default: false,
+    },
   },
   fn: (context, args) => ({ type: name, ...args }),
 });
diff --git a/public/expression_types/arg_types/axis_config/axis_config.less b/public/expression_types/arg_types/axis_config/axis_config.less
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..90815bcbe492e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/expression_types/arg_types/axis_config/axis_config.less
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+@import (reference) "../../../style/variables";
+
+.canvas__argtype--axis_config--disabled {
+  color: @mediumGrey;
+  font-size: 0.8em;
+}
+
+.canvas__argtype--axis_config--configure {
+  .form-group {
+    display: flex;
+
+    label {
+      padding: @spacingXS @spacingS;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/public/expression_types/arg_types/axis_config/extended_template.js b/public/expression_types/arg_types/axis_config/extended_template.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..03e1b29d34689
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/expression_types/arg_types/axis_config/extended_template.js
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import { get } from 'lodash';
+import { set } from 'object-path-immutable';
+import { LabeledInput } from '../../../components/labeled_input';
+
+const defaultExpression = {
+  type: 'expression',
+  chain: [
+    {
+      type: 'function',
+      function: 'axisConfig',
+      arguments: {},
+    },
+  ],
+};
+
+export class ExtendedTemplate extends React.PureComponent {
+  static propTypes = {
+    onValueChange: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+    argValue: PropTypes.oneOfType([
+      PropTypes.bool,
+      PropTypes.shape({
+        chain: PropTypes.array,
+      }).isRequired,
+    ]),
+    typeInstance: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
+  };
+
+  // TODO: this should be in a helper, it's the same code from container_style
+  getArgValue = (name, alt) => {
+    return get(this.props.argValue, ['chain', 0, 'arguments', name, 0], alt);
+  };
+
+  // TODO: this should be in a helper, it's the same code from container_style
+  setArgValue = name => ev => {
+    const val = ev.target.value;
+    const { argValue, onValueChange } = this.props;
+    const oldVal = typeof argValue === 'boolean' ? defaultExpression : argValue;
+    const newValue = set(oldVal, ['chain', 0, 'arguments', name, 0], val);
+    onValueChange(newValue);
+  };
+
+  render() {
+    const isDisabled = typeof this.props.argValue === 'boolean' && this.props.argValue === false;
+
+    if (isDisabled)
+      return <div className="canvas__argtype--axis_config--disabled">The axis is disabled</div>;
+
+    const positions = {
+      xaxis: ['bottom', 'top'],
+      yaxis: ['left', 'right'],
+    };
+    const argName = this.props.typeInstance.name;
+    const position = this.getArgValue('position', positions[argName][0]);
+
+    return (
+      <div className="canvas__argtype--axis_config--configure">
+        <LabeledInput
+          type="select"
+          className="position"
+          label="Position"
+          value={position}
+          values={positions[argName]}
+          onChange={this.setArgValue('position')}
+        />
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+}
diff --git a/public/expression_types/arg_types/axis_config/index.js b/public/expression_types/arg_types/axis_config/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b7dabb68b0797
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/expression_types/arg_types/axis_config/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { SimpleTemplate } from './simple_template';
+import { ExtendedTemplate } from './extended_template';
+import './axis_config.less';
+
+export const axisConfig = () => ({
+  name: 'axisConfig',
+  displayName: 'Axis Config',
+  help: 'Visualization axis configuration',
+  simpleTemplate: SimpleTemplate,
+  template: ExtendedTemplate,
+});
diff --git a/public/expression_types/arg_types/axis_config/simple_template.js b/public/expression_types/arg_types/axis_config/simple_template.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..9298a6a81fafc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/expression_types/arg_types/axis_config/simple_template.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import { Toggle } from '../../../components/toggle';
+
+const isEnabled = argValue => typeof argValue !== 'boolean' || argValue !== false;
+
+export const SimpleTemplate = ({ onValueChange, argValue }) => (
+  <div className="canvas__argtype--axis_config--enable">
+    <Toggle value={isEnabled(argValue)} onChange={onValueChange} />
+  </div>
+);
+
+SimpleTemplate.propTypes = {
+  onValueChange: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+  argValue: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.bool, PropTypes.object]),
+};
diff --git a/public/expression_types/arg_types/container_style/container_style.js b/public/expression_types/arg_types/container_style/container_style.js
index 2d54587330439..e0f4e1a6f79e7 100644
--- a/public/expression_types/arg_types/container_style/container_style.js
+++ b/public/expression_types/arg_types/container_style/container_style.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { extendedTemplate } from './extended_template';
 import './container_style.less';
 
 const wrap = Component =>
+  // TODO: this should be in a helper
   withHandlers({
     getArgValue: ({ argValue }) => (name, alt) => {
       const args = get(argValue, 'chain.0.arguments', {});
diff --git a/public/expression_types/arg_types/index.js b/public/expression_types/arg_types/index.js
index cc15588094f83..7a1a4982a954f 100644
--- a/public/expression_types/arg_types/index.js
+++ b/public/expression_types/arg_types/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { axisConfig } from './axis_config';
 import { containerStyle } from './container_style';
 import { checkbox } from './checkbox';
 import { datacolumn } from './datacolumn';
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ import { string } from './string';
 import { font } from './font';
 
 export const argTypeSpecs = [
+  axisConfig,
   containerStyle,
   checkbox,
   datacolumn,
diff --git a/public/expression_types/arg_types/select.js b/public/expression_types/arg_types/select.js
index 86096c0b4b32e..7b1a2aa981128 100644
--- a/public/expression_types/arg_types/select.js
+++ b/public/expression_types/arg_types/select.js
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import { FormControl } from 'react-bootstrap';
 
-const getArgValueString = argValue => (typeof argValue === 'string' ? argValue : argValue.value);
+const getArgValueString = argValue => {
+  if (typeof argValue === 'object' && argValue !== null) return argValue.value;
+  return String(argValue);
+};
 
 const SelectArgInput = ({ typeInstance, onValueChange, argValue }) => {
   const choices = typeInstance.options.choices;
diff --git a/public/expression_types/views/plot.js b/public/expression_types/views/plot.js
index 04ffe2c7b0dcc..db2dcfa1ac52e 100644
--- a/public/expression_types/views/plot.js
+++ b/public/expression_types/views/plot.js
@@ -23,16 +23,14 @@ export const plot = () => ({
     {
       name: 'xaxis',
       displayName: 'X-Axis',
-      help: 'Enable or disable the x-axis',
-      argType: 'checkbox',
-      default: 'true',
+      help: 'Configure or disable the x-axis',
+      argType: 'axisConfig',
     },
     {
       name: 'yaxis',
       displayName: 'Y-Axis',
-      help: 'Enable or disable the Y-axis',
-      argType: 'checkbox',
-      default: 'true',
+      help: 'Configure or disable the Y-axis',
+      argType: 'axisConfig',
     },
     {
       name: 'font',