Toulouse Traditional Architecture

The city of Toulouse has its own property type, called Petites Toulousaines ("Small Toulouse Houses"). The dominant colour of these houses is the red, Toulouse being often nicknamed ville rose (pink city) by the Frenchmen.

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A petite toulousaine is a small single-storey typical Midi-Pyrenees House. The house normally always has one storey, but some can be found with two-storeys, being thus called Toulousaine à talons hauts, meaning Toulouse House with spike heels.

Walls are made of bricks and the typical Toulouse house is of rectangular shape, following a symmetrical design. Inside the house a hall leads to each room. The doors’ and windows’ frames are generally made of red bricks, and the top of the front façade is generally tastefully decorated (see images below).

The petite Toulousaine is a modest house.

The shutters are generally painted in a blue colour. These houses are very appreciated for their simplicity. Some petites toulousaines Midi-Pyrenees houses can also be found in the Tarn and Tarn et Garonne department of France.

These houses were originally those of Toulouse market gardeners that produced vegetables or the local violet flowers. Some Toulouse houses are decorated with pebbles as what can be seen on some Maison Bearnaises.

Bricks are the dominant material. The symmetrical design is really typical.

The back garden is of small dimensions, sometimes having kept its original well, some (rare) Toulousaine houses having a garden in front of the house, separating it from the street. Roofs are tiled.

Nowadays almost all houses in Toulouse are inspired by the traditional model of the Petites Toulousaines house type.