diff --git a/src/views/Dashboard.vue b/src/views/Dashboard.vue
index 84aca8e..9e253ce 100644
--- a/src/views/Dashboard.vue
+++ b/src/views/Dashboard.vue
@@ -1,61 +1,80 @@
 <template>
   <div class="p-6">
-    <h1 class="text-2xl font-bold mb-6">Dashboard</h1>
-
-    <!-- Stats Cards -->
-    <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-3 gap-4 mb-6">
-      <!-- This Week -->
-      <div class="bg-surface border border-border rounded-lg p-6">
-        <p class="text-text-secondary text-sm mb-1">This Week</p>
-        <p class="text-3xl font-bold text-text-primary">{{ formatDuration(weekStats.totalSeconds) }}</p>
-      </div>
-
-      <!-- This Month -->
-      <div class="bg-surface border border-border rounded-lg p-6">
-        <p class="text-text-secondary text-sm mb-1">This Month</p>
-        <p class="text-3xl font-bold text-text-primary">{{ formatDuration(monthStats.totalSeconds) }}</p>
-      </div>
-
-      <!-- Active Projects -->
-      <div class="bg-surface border border-border rounded-lg p-6">
-        <p class="text-text-secondary text-sm mb-1">Active Projects</p>
-        <p class="text-3xl font-bold text-text-primary">{{ activeProjectsCount }}</p>
-      </div>
+    <!-- Empty state -->
+    <div v-if="isEmpty" class="flex flex-col items-center justify-center py-16">
+      <Clock class="w-12 h-12 text-text-tertiary" :stroke-width="1.5" />
+      <p class="text-sm text-text-secondary mt-4">Start tracking your time</p>
+      <p class="text-xs text-text-tertiary mt-2 max-w-xs text-center">Your dashboard will come alive with stats, charts, and recent activity once you start logging hours.</p>
+      <router-link to="/timer" class="mt-4 px-4 py-2 bg-accent text-bg-base text-xs font-medium rounded hover:bg-accent-hover transition-colors">
+        Go to Timer
+      </router-link>
     </div>
 
-    <!-- Weekly Chart -->
-    <div class="bg-surface border border-border rounded-lg p-6 mb-6">
-      <h2 class="text-lg font-semibold mb-4">This Week's Hours</h2>
-      <div class="h-64">
-        <Bar v-if="chartData" :data="chartData" :options="chartOptions" />
+    <!-- Main content -->
+    <template v-else>
+      <!-- Greeting header -->
+      <div class="mb-8">
+        <p class="text-lg text-text-secondary">{{ greeting }}</p>
+        <p class="text-xs text-text-tertiary mt-1">{{ formattedDate }}</p>
       </div>
-    </div>
 
-    <!-- Recent Time Entries -->
-    <div class="bg-surface border border-border rounded-lg p-6">
-      <h2 class="text-lg font-semibold mb-4">Recent Entries</h2>
-
-      <div v-if="recentEntries.length > 0" class="space-y-3">
-        <div
-          v-for="entry in recentEntries"
-          :key="entry.id"
-          class="flex items-center justify-between py-2 border-b border-border last:border-0"
-        >
-          <div class="flex items-center gap-3">
-            <div
-              class="w-3 h-3 rounded-full"
-              :style="{ backgroundColor: getProjectColor(entry.project_id) }"
-            ></div>
-            <span class="text-text-primary">{{ getProjectName(entry.project_id) }}</span>
-          </div>
-          <span class="text-text-secondary font-mono">{{ formatDuration(entry.duration) }}</span>
+      <!-- Stats row — 4 columns -->
+      <div class="grid grid-cols-4 gap-6 mb-8">
+        <div>
+          <p class="text-[0.6875rem] text-text-tertiary uppercase tracking-[0.08em] mb-1">Today</p>
+          <p class="text-[1.25rem] font-mono text-accent-text font-medium">{{ formatDuration(todayStats.totalSeconds) }}</p>
+        </div>
+        <div>
+          <p class="text-[0.6875rem] text-text-tertiary uppercase tracking-[0.08em] mb-1">This Week</p>
+          <p class="text-[1.25rem] font-mono text-accent-text font-medium">{{ formatDuration(weekStats.totalSeconds) }}</p>
+        </div>
+        <div>
+          <p class="text-[0.6875rem] text-text-tertiary uppercase tracking-[0.08em] mb-1">This Month</p>
+          <p class="text-[1.25rem] font-mono text-accent-text font-medium">{{ formatDuration(monthStats.totalSeconds) }}</p>
+        </div>
+        <div>
+          <p class="text-[0.6875rem] text-text-tertiary uppercase tracking-[0.08em] mb-1">Active Projects</p>
+          <p class="text-[1.25rem] font-mono text-accent-text font-medium">{{ activeProjectsCount }}</p>
         </div>
       </div>
 
-      <div v-else class="text-center text-text-secondary py-8">
-        No time entries yet. Start tracking your time!
+      <!-- Weekly chart -->
+      <div class="mb-8">
+        <h2 class="text-[1rem] font-medium text-text-primary mb-4">Weekly Hours</h2>
+        <div class="h-48">
+          <Bar v-if="chartData" :data="chartData" :options="chartOptions" />
+        </div>
       </div>
-    </div>
+
+      <!-- Recent entries -->
+      <div>
+        <div class="flex items-center justify-between mb-4">
+          <h2 class="text-[1rem] font-medium text-text-primary">Recent Entries</h2>
+          <router-link to="/entries" class="text-xs text-text-tertiary hover:text-text-secondary transition-colors">View all</router-link>
+        </div>
+
+        <div v-if="recentEntries.length > 0">
+          <div
+            v-for="entry in recentEntries"
+            :key="entry.id"
+            class="flex items-center justify-between py-3 border-b border-border-subtle last:border-0"
+          >
+            <div class="flex items-center gap-3">
+              <div
+                class="w-2 h-2 rounded-full shrink-0"
+                :style="{ backgroundColor: getProjectColor(entry.project_id) }"
+              />
+              <span class="text-[0.75rem] text-text-primary">{{ getProjectName(entry.project_id) }}</span>
+            </div>
+            <span class="text-[0.75rem] font-mono text-text-secondary">{{ formatDuration(entry.duration) }}</span>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+
+        <p v-else class="text-[0.75rem] text-text-tertiary py-8">
+          No entries yet. Start tracking your time.
+        </p>
+      </div>
+    </template>
   </div>
 </template>
 
@@ -72,6 +91,7 @@ import {
   Tooltip,
   Legend
 } from 'chart.js'
+import { Clock } from 'lucide-vue-next'
 import { useEntriesStore } from '../stores/entries'
 import { useProjectsStore } from '../stores/projects'
 import type { TimeEntry } from '../stores/entries'
@@ -82,10 +102,34 @@ ChartJS.register(CategoryScale, LinearScale, BarElement, Title, Tooltip, Legend)
 const entriesStore = useEntriesStore()
 const projectsStore = useProjectsStore()
 
+const todayStats = ref<{ totalSeconds: number; byProject: unknown[] }>({ totalSeconds: 0, byProject: [] })
 const weekStats = ref<{ totalSeconds: number; byProject: unknown[] }>({ totalSeconds: 0, byProject: [] })
 const monthStats = ref<{ totalSeconds: number; byProject: unknown[] }>({ totalSeconds: 0, byProject: [] })
 const recentEntries = ref<TimeEntry[]>([])
 
+// Greeting based on time of day
+const greeting = computed(() => {
+  const hour = new Date().getHours()
+  if (hour < 12) return 'Good morning'
+  if (hour < 18) return 'Good afternoon'
+  return 'Good evening'
+})
+
+// Formatted date
+const formattedDate = computed(() => {
+  return new Date().toLocaleDateString('en-US', {
+    weekday: 'long',
+    year: 'numeric',
+    month: 'long',
+    day: 'numeric'
+  })
+})
+
+// Empty state check
+const isEmpty = computed(() => {
+  return recentEntries.value.length === 0 && weekStats.value.totalSeconds === 0
+})
+
 // Get start of current week (Monday)
 function getWeekStart(): string {
   const now = new Date()
@@ -138,6 +182,8 @@ const chartData = computed(() => {
   const days = ['Mon', 'Tue', 'Wed', 'Thu', 'Fri', 'Sat', 'Sun']
   const weekStart = getWeekStart()
   const today = getToday()
+  const todayIndex = new Date().getDay()
+  const todayArrayIndex = todayIndex === 0 ? 6 : todayIndex - 1
 
   // Initialize hours for each day
   const hoursPerDay = [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
@@ -147,20 +193,22 @@ const chartData = computed(() => {
     const entryDate = new Date(entry.start_time).toISOString().split('T')[0]
     if (entryDate >= weekStart && entryDate <= today) {
       const dayIndex = new Date(entry.start_time).getDay()
-      // Convert Monday=0, Sunday=6 to array index
       const index = dayIndex === 0 ? 6 : dayIndex - 1
       hoursPerDay[index] += entry.duration / 3600
     }
   })
 
+  // Color today's bar lighter amber
+  const colors = hoursPerDay.map((_, i) => i === todayArrayIndex ? '#FBBF24' : '#D97706')
+
   return {
     labels: days,
     datasets: [
       {
         label: 'Hours',
         data: hoursPerDay,
-        backgroundColor: '#F59E0B',
-        borderRadius: 4
+        backgroundColor: colors,
+        borderRadius: 2
       }
     ]
   }
@@ -187,10 +235,10 @@ const chartOptions = {
     y: {
       beginAtZero: true,
       grid: {
-        color: '#2E2E2E'
+        color: '#2E2E2A'
       },
       ticks: {
-        color: '#A0A0A0'
+        color: '#5A5A54'
       }
     },
     x: {
@@ -198,7 +246,7 @@ const chartOptions = {
         display: false
       },
       ticks: {
-        color: '#A0A0A0'
+        color: '#5A5A54'
       }
     }
   }
@@ -206,13 +254,18 @@ const chartOptions = {
 
 // Load data on mount
 onMounted(async () => {
-  // Fetch projects first
   await projectsStore.fetchProjects()
-
-  // Fetch all entries
   await entriesStore.fetchEntries()
 
-  // Get this week's stats
+  try {
+    todayStats.value = await invoke('get_reports', {
+      startDate: getToday(),
+      endDate: getToday()
+    })
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Failed to fetch today stats:', error)
+  }
+
   try {
     weekStats.value = await invoke('get_reports', {
       startDate: getWeekStart(),
@@ -222,7 +275,6 @@ onMounted(async () => {
     console.error('Failed to fetch week stats:', error)
   }
 
-  // Get this month's stats
   try {
     monthStats.value = await invoke('get_reports', {
       startDate: getMonthStart(),
@@ -232,7 +284,6 @@ onMounted(async () => {
     console.error('Failed to fetch month stats:', error)
   }
 
-  // Get recent entries (last 5)
   recentEntries.value = entriesStore.entries.slice(0, 5)
 })
 </script>