Layout is the overall arrangement of designs woven on a carpet. Almost all carpets could be classified by their layout: all-over, medallion or one-sided. And lines that form designs can be curvilinear such as arabesque; straight such as geometrical designs or pictorial like designs of people, animals or scenery.

All-Over

Carpets in this layout have no central design and the designs spread throughout the carpet, separated or connected. There may be one design or several designs appearing repeatedly throughout the whole background. Sometimes designs will not stop repeating until the borders.

Medallion In this layout, a large centerpiece is the main design called medallion. And this layout is by far the most common one encountered in handmade carpets. The shapes of medallions are usually round, oval, diamond, octagonal, hexagonal and star-like. One-Sided In this layout, the designs are woven in only one direction. Therefore the carpet can only be properly viewed from one side. The designs on one-sided carpets are usually pictures of people, animals and scenery. Since one-sided carpets should not be viewed upside-down they are most often used as tapestries.