settings.py

import os


# All of your normal settings...


# Utility function to join paths
def get_path(*args):
    return os.path.realpath(os.path.join(*args))


# Project Base Path, ie: /var/www/my_project/source/
SOURCE_ROOT = get_path(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')

# HTML design specific settings
HTML_DESIGN_ROOT = get_path(SOURCE_ROOT, "templates/html/")
HTML_DESIGN_RELATIVE_PATH = "html"
HTML_DESIGN_NAMESPACE = "html"

tools.py

import os

from django.conf import settings
from django.conf.urls.defaults import patterns, url
from django.contrib.staticfiles.urls import staticfiles_urlpatterns
from django.views.static import directory_index
from django.shortcuts import redirect
from django.views.generic.simple import direct_to_template


def html_design_view(*args, **kwargs):
    """ This will load design templates from the "html" directory in your
    templates folder. It's only turned on if DEBUG is True. It will also
    show indexes if you leave off the filename and extension.
    """
    path = kwargs['path']

    # The path is a directory
    if path.endswith('/') or not path:
        directory = os.path.join(settings.HTML_DESIGN_ROOT, path)
        return directory_index(path.rstrip('/'), directory)

    # Missing a trailing slash
    elif '.' not in path.split('/')[-1]:
        return redirect('/%s/' % path)

    # Render the template
    kwargs['template'] = os.path.join(settings.HTML_DESIGN_RELATIVE_PATH, path)
    return direct_to_template(*args, **kwargs)


def html_design_urlpatterns():
    re = r"^%s/(?P<path>.*)$" % settings.HTML_DESIGN_NAMESPACE
    return patterns('', url(re, html_design_view))


def local_serve_urlpatterns():
    re = r"^%s(?P<path>.*)$" % settings.MEDIA_URL.lstrip('/')
    options = {'document_root': settings.MEDIA_ROOT, 'show_indexes': True}

    return patterns(
        'django.views.static',
        url(re, 'serve', options),
    ) + staticfiles_urlpatterns()

urls.py

from django.conf import settings
from django.conf.urls.defaults import patterns, url, include
from django.contrib import admin

from source.utils.tools import html_design_urlpatterns, local_serve_urlpatterns


admin.autodiscover()

urlpatterns = patterns('',
    # All of your regular urls...
)

if getattr(settings, 'DEBUG', False):
    urlpatterns = html_design_urlpatterns() + urlpatterns

if getattr(settings, 'LOCAL_SERVE', False):
    urlpatterns = local_serve_urlpatterns() + urlpatterns