Little Greene Paint Mambo No.112

Mambo No.112 is a deep, clear blue from Little Greene, with a blue undertone. It has a light reflectance value of about 17, which places it in the dark band of the range. It absorbs most of the light that falls on it, so it rewards rooms you want to feel enclosed and deliberate — snugs, dining rooms, studies and panelled woodwork.

Using Mambo in a scheme

Pair it with Delicate Blue No.248, a white that shares its undertone; James No.108, a lighter step in the same family; and Dock Blue No.252, a deeper one for adjoining walls or woodwork. These pairings are worked out from the colour values themselves rather than lifted from Little Greene’s colour card, so treat them as a starting point rather than a rule.

Sampling this colour

A 60ml sample pot of Mambo is €8.50. It comes from Little Greene already mixed, so it is on our shelf and ships straight away. On a colour of any depth it is worth painting two walls of the room rather than one.

Available finishes

• Absolute Matt Emulsion — dead-flat walls and ceilings in low-traffic rooms (2% sheen, 14 m² per litre)
• Intelligent Matt Emulsion — washable walls and ceilings in hallways, kitchens and family rooms (2% sheen, 14 m² per litre)
• Intelligent Eggshell — wipeable trim, radiators, and kitchen and bathroom walls (15% sheen, 14 m² per litre)
• Interior Oil Eggshell — interior woodwork, primed metal and cabinetry (15% sheen, 16 m² per litre)
• Traditional Oil Gloss — front doors, windows and railings, full oil gloss (>85% sheen, 16 m² per litre)
• Intelligent Floor Paint — wooden and concrete floors in light to medium traffic (35% sheen, 12 m² per litre)
• Intelligent Exterior Eggshell — exterior cladding, joinery and metalwork (15% sheen, 12 m² per litre)
• Tom's Oil Eggshell — exterior cladding, windows and doors, plant-oil based (15% sheen, 15 m² per litre)
• Intelligent Masonry Paint — exterior render, brick and cement blockwork (5% sheen, 13 m² per litre)

Intelligent ASP, Intelligent Gloss and Intelligent Satin can also be mixed in this colour to order. We do not keep those bases on the shelf, so ring the shop and we will bring it in on our next Little Greene delivery.

Priming and light

Little Greene tint their primers to the shade of the topcoat rather than working to fixed undercoat colours, so whichever primer the surface calls for, we mix it in Mambo. New or patch-repaired plaster takes Wall Primer Sealer; previously painted woodwork, radiators, metal, tiles and melamine take Intelligent ASP. Sound painted walls need nothing underneath — the Intelligent range is self-priming.

Going this deep over a pale wall, a coat of tinted Intelligent ASP first will usually save you a topcoat and give an even finish. It is the thing that most often separates a dark wall that looks expensive from one that looks patchy.

Dark shades reward the long Irish evening. Expect it to look heavy and flat at four o'clock in January, and quite different once the lamps are on.

Colour reference

• Colour number: No.112
• Hex: #5371B8
• RGB: 83, 113, 184
• Colour family: Blues
• Colour family: Blues
• Tone: Dark
• Light reflectance value (LRV): approximately 17, calculated from the published hex
• Collection: Colours of England
• Availability: Current range

Mixed to order at Foy & Company

Every tin of Mambo is mixed to order on our own tinting system from the correct Little Greene base, so you get genuine Little Greene paint in the finish and size you need rather than only what happens to be on the shelf. Nationwide delivery across Ireland, or collect from the shop.