‘Maine Cabin Masters’ Chase & Sarah Morrill Talk ‘All Inn’ Spinoff, Family Life & More

After nine months of labor Chase Morrill and his wife Sarah have a new baby. The couple and their dedicated team transformed a rundown property into the bed & breakfast of their dreams. Cameras followed the journey to seeing that vision realized for Maine Cabin Masters: All Inn. 

The spinoff of the popular Magnolia Network series follows the rollercoaster ride they went on to renovate the nine-bedroom estate with roots going back to the 1800s. It wasn’t just about just renovating existing spaces, but expanding by building three more cabins. The pressure was on to meet tight deadlines and budgets while overcoming the unexpected issues that came along the way. For Chase and Sarah, the hard work paid off with the Waters Run Bed & Breakfast in Monmouth, Maine, now open for reservations.

Ahead of the July 19 series premiere on HGTV, the two opened up about the challenges they faced to get to the finish line and how the family played a role in it. 

With this being your own personal project, how did you feel about having cameras there to document the process? 

Chase Morrill: We’ve gotten used to documenting our lives on TV and on camera. It was the perfect name for the show because we’re a hundred percent in. Sarah has to be onboard. I have to be onboard. The kids have to be on board, and the Cabin Masters have to be on board. It’s always fun doing unique and challenging projects, but this one by far the biggest project we’ve ever taken on. 

What made you want to open an inn in the first place? 

Sarah Morrill: The store and the restaurant are about 10 minutes from the location of the inn. We’ve definitely noticed more people stopping through. There has been some increased tourism in this part of Maine, which is great. People are really excited to be here. It seemed like a natural fit to expand the opportunity for people to stay locally and experience more of what is in this area. The building that the inn was in is something Chase was familiar with since childhood. We’ve driven by and seen it many times. It’s a pretty stunning building. So, when it was up for sale, we saw it as an opportunity that presented itself. It fits perfectly with what we’re trying to do, which is celebrate this part of Maine and welcome them and show them a sort of off the beaten path part of Maine that we call home. 

How was it finding the balance between maintaining the property’s historic roots and modernizing the spaces? 

Sarah: The building is incredible. The historical character of the building is what we fell in love most about it. Yes, it has a beautiful lake, but beyond that, the house and barn are just so incredible. You can feel the history. It was part of the Woolworth Estate, which goes back to the 1900s and the older part of the farmhouse predates that [to the 1800s]. The old house and old barn have so much character. The whole project was trying to maintain that character that we love about the house and barn. It was definitely the driving factor for the design from top to bottom. Trying to modernize it and make it clean and comfortable for guests, but also make people feel they were in an historic farmhouse. I think it’s really important for the community to be part of that and this historical estate. It would have been terrible to lose any of that historic character for the whole area we were in. 

You have this business endeavor. You also have four kids. You have all the stuff at home to deal with. What was it like to be in that chaos at that time? 

Sarah: It has definitely taken every single bit of energy to keep this thing moving and keep everyone engaged. The kids were in school. It’s different when you’re living at home and everyone is trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy. It’s always busy and chaotic with four kids, but I think the kids all helped when they could. I think everyone understood the importance of the project. They were definitely excited about it in their own ways and happy to help. Beyond that, I feel the crew and everyone who has worked on the build has basically become like family. It’s kind of this extended family project where everyone is part of the team, even the production crew. We all know each other so well at this point, we’re all working together and supporting each other. 

Given the state of the economy we’re in and the cost of everything, there are certainly high risks taking on a project of this size. Talk about the stress you also faced on the financial end.

Chase: It was nine months of watching the bank account dwindle. We kind of estimated what it would take to get it back up. I think we underestimated just how bad some areas were and the extent of updates that were needed. You’re looking at fixing up 12 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, 12 heat pumps, costs added up. Again, it’s something we were excited to take on. Now that it’s up and running hopefully the money will start floating in the other direction. 

What were the biggest challenges you faced and viewers will see from the show? 

Chase: I think we ran into everything on this project. It wouldn’t be a Maine Cabin Masters project without rot. There was plenty of that. I think the scale of it was pretty unique for us. One thing we also ran into was the plaster on the interior walls. It was concrete based. It was like rock. It was miserable to work with. It gave us a taste of what Italy was. The amount of work involved wasn’t just one bedroom or bathroom. It was a lot. 

You’ve been married for more than 20 years. What can you say about how you’ve been able to have a successful relationship? 

Chase: Family involvement. Showing the kids not to be afraid of hard work and getting your hands dirty and the reward and fulfillment of finishing a project like that. I think grit and determination and hard work and a positive attitude goes a long way. We had all the kids there on the first day helping empty the place. They’ve been able to help us when they can. I think keeping family involvement in the project meant a ton. 

Sarah: Absolutely. I think in some ways this project was helpful that it was happening along “normal life” because we really needed the normal life to distract us from this project. At times, it was super stressful. We make a point to leave if we have to leave at 3:45 p.m. to watch a soccer game, a ski event, or tennis match. We have other stuff going on. It’s a reminder that as important as this project is and finishing on time, what is really more important is the normal life stuff we have to prioritize as well. I have to say again how close I have become with all the people working on this project with us. We all at this point were pretty bonded. I think that has helped us as well. It feels like an extended family working on something. Having that support is so important when things get hard. 

The inn just opened. What was that first day like? 

Sarah: It opened a week ago Friday. It was pretty unreal. There were several times throughout the day where I thought, “It’s actually happening. These people are doing the thing I wanted them to do in the place I wanted them to do it.” It was exciting. The first guests we had were pretty diehard Maine Cabin Masters fans. They have been just as kind and supportive as can be. Also, there were two bathrooms where the shower drains were leaking. So, we had to fix that. There was a lot. Nothing major. It was all a good time. There has definitely been a learning curve. 

How has business been? 

Sarah: I think we are going to be grateful for a slow start. We’re about half full for most nights this month. It does get busy around lobster bakes with August, September, October being busier than July. People may be waiting until others have tested it out first, which is valid. 

What do you want to say to viewers before they check this show out? 

Chase: I hope the viewers take away that we really are a hundred all in on this project. It took the whole community to make it happen. It’s part of local history that has been sitting vacant. Everyone used to drive by and say, “Oh man, I’d love to do something with that place. It’s a shame it’s not being fixed up.” We were foolish enough or ambitious enough to take it on. Hopefully, it’s a huge success and brings more people to our area. 

Maine Cabin Masters: All Inn, series premiere, July 19, 9/8c, HGTV (July 27 on Magnolia Network)