What To Know
- Chase Morrill and his wife Sarah purchased the historic Rise and Shine Bed & Breakfast in Monmouth, Maine, aiming to renovate it into a welcoming inn within nine months.
- The couple plans extensive updates with a $800,000 renovation budget after buying the property for $750,000.
- The renovation process involves family, local artisans, and the Cabin Masters crew with work beginning in the lounge and library.
Chase Morrill and his wife Sarah made a big professional, and in many ways, personal decision. They bought a B&B, which is rundown and “haunted.” The Rise and Shine Bed & Breakfast in Monmouth, Maine, needs a lot of work doing on it before they can think about reopening it. The couple looked to renovate and transform the sprawling property as captured in Maine Cabin Masters spinoff Main Cabin Masters: All Inn.
The start of this project was chronicled during the July 19 premiere on HGTV (which will also air on Magnolia Network starting July 27). Spoiler alert! Read on to find out what happened in the premiere episode.
The Morrills invited Chase’s sister Ashley Morrill and her husband Ryan Eldridge over for a tour. They were picked up by Maggie, Chase and Sarah’s daughter, to bring them to the estate. “We bought a bed and breakfast, “ Sarah declared. It was an aspiration for her to become an innkeeper. The couple used to drive by and thought it would be a cool spot. Or perhaps a mid-life crisis in some ways? Either way, it was considered a huge investment to turn the 12-acre, nine-bedroom place with roots to the late 1800s into a welcoming destination within nine months.
On the tour, Sarah and Chase gave insight to what they had in mind for the spaces, which included two separate wings upstairs. There were what appeared to be themed rooms with royal and nautical vibes. Ashley could see potential, but the décor was less than desired. They looked to move the entrance, create a new lobby, and an ADA accessible room and bathroom. Another feature seen for a guest kitchen for them to heat up tea or warm up a snack. Given the picturesque surrounding, the renovators wanted to add a patio area on the waterside.
Addressing rot in the library chimney in the Bed and Breakfast as seen on ‘Maine Cabin Masters.’ (Magnolia Network)
Another revenue stream could come in the barn that they have plans to turn into an event venue perfect for weddings and parties. Ashley thought all this was well and good, but asked the one important question. What was the budget? Chase and Sarah revealed they purchased the place for $750,000 and have $800,000 to see their vision realized. Given the money on the line, their deadline was for a soft opening Memorial Day weekend.
It was time to get to work with crew member Matt “Dixie” Dix dubbing the building they were taking on as the biggest in Cabin Masters history. The first part of the process was clearing out the rooms and doing some demolition work. They worked to take down the metal awning outside. Eva, Sarah and Chase’s daughter, stopped by to help. The first areas on the list to do were the library and lounge. For this, they’ll need to fix electrical, add new lighting fixtures, modern furniture, add new cushions and curtains, and paint. There would be an overall refresh while also hoping to preserve the historical elements. That meant probing the walls for rot, which was unfortunately something they do run into.
Ryan was five weeks off hip replacement surgery, so he was assigned light duty. They hoped to keep the painted tiles around the fireplace, but some were broken. Thankfully, the team were able to piece them back together for the installation. Ashley and Sarah visited a fabric business owner named Amy. They handsewn new curtains. For Sarah, this was an example of how they planned to enlist local artisans and craft people in the area to showcase the talents of the state. With Ashley in a yellow protective suit, the crew had some fun adorning her with some antennas, wings and sunglasses as a bee.
Mom Peggy came by to drop off Ashley’s dog Trigger. However, the fourth grade teacher wasn’t allowed to step foot inside because they wanted to surprise her with a reveal. She later had been invited back with Eva as the first visitors to get their first “guest” reaction. They were impressed with Eva going as far to say the area went from “haunted and rundown to warm and inviting.” Mission accomplished so far. The experience gave Sarah motivation to keep going.
Maine Cabin Masters: All Inn, 9/8c, Sundays, HGTV