diff --git a/src/mite.php b/src/mite.php
index 45626d1..6d8f00e 100644
--- a/src/mite.php
+++ b/src/mite.php
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ class Mite {
     // initializes framework
     public function __construct($config = [])
     {
+        // define base path as calling
+        define('BASE', dirname(debug_backtrace()[0]['file']));
+
         $this->init($config);
     }
 
@@ -46,21 +49,47 @@ class Mite {
         self::$init = microtime(TRUE);
 
         // sensible defaults
-        $defaults = array
-        (
-            'index' => '/index.php',
-            'debug' => 'FALSE',
-            'paths' => array(
-                'views'     => '',
-                'models'    => ''
-                )
-        );
+        $defaults = [
+            'index'  => '/index.php',
+            'debug'  => FALSE,
+            'layout' => FALSE,
+            'paths'  => $this->paths($config['paths'])
+        ];
 
         // merge in configuration overriding defaults
         self::$options = array_merge($defaults, $config);
 
         // TODO: ack!!! forgot to update/retrieve settings from options
-        self::$index = self::options('index');
+        // self::$index = self::options('index');
+    }
+
+    private function paths($config = [])
+    {
+        // application default paths
+        $defaults = [
+            'views'   => '',
+            'layouts' => '',
+            'models'  => ''
+        ];
+
+        // check views/ structure
+        if(file_exists(BASE . '/views')) {
+            // set views directory
+            $defaults['views'] = BASE . '/views';
+
+            // check for layouts
+            if(file_exists(BASE . '/views/layouts')) {
+                // set layouts directory
+                $defaults['layouts'] = BASE . '/views/layouts';
+            }
+        }
+
+        // check and set models directory
+        if(file_exists(BASE . '/models')) {
+            $defaults['models'] = BASE . '/models';
+        }
+
+        return array_merge($defaults, $config['paths'] ?: []);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -258,10 +287,19 @@ class Mite {
         // check if folder defined
         $dir = self::options('paths','views');
 
-        // update path
-        $path = $dir ? "{$dir}/{$template}" : "{$template}";
+        // use layout file
+        if(file_exists("{$dir}/layouts/index.layout.php")) {
 
-        include($path);
+            $content = $dir ? "{$dir}/{$template}" : "{$template}";
+
+            include("{$dir}/layouts/index.layout.php");
+
+        } else {
+            // determine path to view template
+            $path = $dir ? "{$dir}/{$template}" : "{$template}";
+
+            include($path);
+        }
     }
 
     /*****************************************************************