It's actually not painted at all. We used white mortar on rolled and tumbled brick then used a piece of carpet to liberally spread it across the brick working the mortar into all the depressions. Before the mortar was completely dry we cleaned it back off lightly with a large damp sponge, rinsing frequently until it had the right color. The brick we used is smooth on the face so the next day once it was dry we used an orbital sander to clean any remaining mortar off the face of the brick and bring the color and sheen back out. It's a little bit of a process but the results are fantastic both from a look and touch perspective.

This method would likely work on existing brick if it's relatively smooth on the face. If it isn't smooth it would be tough as the brick will likely chew up the sponge and sandpaper before you get close to the desired look. Hope this helps and good luck with the project!

Thank you. it came out fantastic!

What stone did you use on the hearth? Love it!