Bringing old cabins back to life is not a task everyone is up for, yet the expert crew at “Maine Cabin Masters” is always ready to save the day. Aired first on the now disappeared DIY Network in 2017, so far the show has premiered eight successful seasons, full of their cast’s pure ingenuity, good taste, and sense of humor.
Though cabin renovations and restorations are the show’s main appeal, there’s no denying that the marvelous and talented crew behind “Maine Cabin Masters” has enchanted us no end, inevitably making us want to know more about them and what they do when cameras are off.
So who is in charge of making “Maine Cabin Masters” so unbelievably good? Stay with us to know all about them!
Chase
The absolute top star of “Maine Cabin Masters” is Chase Morrill, the man whose plans make every project possible. Born in Maine, Chase was inspired by his father to follow the path of construction and mindful usage of materials, on top of becoming a good father and husband, as he writes on his website.
Nonetheless, while it might seem that Chase was always meant to turn cabins back to life, at some point he considered a different walk of life. He graduated from the Maine-based College Of The Atlantic with a bachelor of arts degree in human ecology, focused on Asian and Chemistry studies, which he grew interested in during a trip to China when at school, as he said in an interview at his alma mater’s 2022 summer event,
Life had different things planned for Chase, though. He and his sister Ashley inherited their father’s business Kennebec Cabin Company, and have since turned it into a local sensation with their remarkable and hard-work ethic. That being said, Chase is more than just a man of business, as he’s also a sculptor, crafter, and dedicated family man. He’s married to Sarah, and is a father to their children Maggie, Nori, Eva and Fletcher.
Ashley
As the team’s designer and art chaser, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge is always there to put the tasteful and stylish touches on every renovation. Just as her brother Chase, Ashley was strongly inspired by her late father to continue the family’s legacy of transforming people’s lives by giving a face-lift to their cabins, regardless of how worn-out these might be.
While it’s clear that Ashley always looks to bring the best of the best to every renovation, she’s also quite mindful of budgets and of bringing affordable projects into people’s lives: ‘the builds that we do are relatable. They’re within people’s price range, whereas a lot of these other reality shows, they’re high-end flips, and they’re not attainable for the majority’, she said during an interview with House Digest in 2022.
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Some of Ashley’s principles while decorating are going for the simple, trying things people might already have at home, and visiting local art markets in the search of gems. As a graphic designer by profession, Ashley’s role in every project is to not only decorate, but also design articles which fit their space while keeping up the sense of style.
Despite her easygoing, extroverted personality, Ashley is surprisingly not too active on social media, posting just barely enough on her Instagram to let us know that she loves spending time outdoors with her beloved dogs, her husband Ryan, and her family.
Ryan
As the team’s carpenter, Ryan Eldridge’s role consists of taking every project to completion while also being the voice of reason. A long-time buddy of Chase, and married to Ashley, there’s no way someone would complement the Morrill team better than Ryan.
Despite having a teaching degree in English, Ryan’s life is more on the construction side of things, having a great drive to turn his dreams into realities, with hard work and a positive mindset. As he recalled in a 2017’s article for Maine’s newspaper Weathervane, he and Ashley built the house of their dreams in West Gardiner, on land he had actually repurchased in 2005, and initially had no hopes of turning into a house.
@overheardphish – was watching Maine Cabin Masters, and one of the stars, Ryan, is obviously a big Phish fan! #MaineCabinMasters #IcculusTheProphet pic.twitter.com/iEibKZFagj
— Cheese Whistle (@CheeserMcstink) March 5, 2019
However, he and Ashley were able to see the potential in it once they cleaned the property, eventually finishing the construction in 2016, and have lived there ever since, enjoying the nature-filled surroundings which are fortunately not so far away from the city either. That same house is considered by Ryan as his best purchase ever, and for good reasons.
Being no strangers to creating things with their hands and hearts full, Ryan the carpenter, and Ashley the designer make the best team together, which is noticeable to anyone watching “Maine Cabin Masters”.
Dixie & Jedi
Every great construction crew has its fair share of talented workers, who stand out for their hard work and commitment to their job. In the case of Matt “Dixie” Dix and Jared “Jedi” Baker, this is 100 times better, considering that they’re not only vital parts of “Maine Cabin Masters”, but also great at making everything funnier.
Though both men are outdoors lovers through and through, in the case of Dixie he prefers the traditional meaning of spending time outside, which means firing up the bonfire to get the fun started: ‘My favorite place is anywhere in Northern Maine, the Moosehead area. I love being in the woods, hunting, fishin, and hiking around”, he said on the show’s website. Dixie also dreams of visiting Alaska, and owning a 65-foot boat he would name Chasing Tail.
On his part, Jedi is more into extreme sports and having a good time. As seen on his social media, he’s an avid snowmobile rider who’s more than ready to join events in and outside Maine. Jedi often finds himself involved in trips through nature, on his boat the Cobbossee Jed, or watching a game of hockey.
Overall, Dixie and Jedi are quite interesting people to see both on and off-camera.
The Business Behind The Show
Even though Kennebec Cabin Company was already a well-established business before “Maine Cabin Masters” debuted in 2017, there’s no denying that the shop has grown quite a lot thanks to the fame provided by TV.
As the most-watched show on their original network DIY for its first three seasons, “Maine Cabin Masters” was quick to gain a loyal following which was more than stunned by the crew’s method and diverse personalities. Regarding the success of the show, Ryan admitted it all comes down to putting together only good things: ‘The premise of the show and what our state offers is a great match, and we’ve built friendships and work relationships over the years, and that comes through’, he said in an interview with House Digest.
Becoming popular TV personalities has also translated into attracting new people to their beloved Maine, adopting quite the reputation of local celebrities, which in return has benefitted their business greatly. These days, Kennebec Cabin Company is more than just a construction and decoration business, but is also both a physical and online shop for those who want a souvenir or piece of art curated and designed by the Morrills, on top of being a real estate agency, famous for offering professionally and artistically crafted cabin homes to new homeowners. All in all, it seems that appearing on TV has been a great deal for the family and everyone involved with it.
The Show
As often happens in reality TV, shows are brought to life after a series of coincidences made it all possible. It’s no different for “Maine Cabin Masters” – it came alive after a person close to the Morrills told a TV producer from Colorado about the Kennebec Cabin Company.
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It didn’t take long for Chase to be contacted by the production company and film a pilot episode, but he was warned from the start that the possibilities of it working out were minimal. Little would have Chase, Ashley, Ryan and the rest of the team know that the show was destined to become a huge success, even surviving amid adversities such as the COVID-19 spread, or when its old network DIY Network was shut down.
The latter case resulted in “Maine Cabin Masters” becoming one of the few shows which were luckily picked up for renewal by Magnolia Network.
That being said, what attracts people to “Maine Cabin Masters” is not only to see great cabin renovations, but to get an insight into what it’s like to see a great team working together. Whether it’s Jedi and Dixie with their antics, Ryan and Chase’s hard-working ethics, or Ashley’s creativity and good taste, it’s evident that there are many reasons to continue watching “Maine Cabin Masters” for many years to come.
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