Inside Robert Herjavec’s Muskoka Retreat: A Very Canadian Take on Lakeside Living

There are luxury homes, and then there are homes that could only exist where they do.

Robert Herjavec and Kym Johnson-Herjavec recently opened the doors to their family retreat in Muskoka, offering a rare look inside a property shaped by the Canadian landscape rather than a passing design trend. Set on three acres, the retreat includes a main house, guest house, boathouse, garage and detached gym. Yet the real luxury is not the number of buildings. It is the way the entire property draws people toward the lake.

In the Homeworthy tour, Herjavec calls Muskoka “heaven on earth” and notes that some people refer to it as the “Hamptons of Canada.” The comparison may help an international audience understand the area’s profile, but Muskoka does not need an American translation. Granite shoreline, towering trees, classic boathouses and long days on the water are distinctly Canadian.

A Home Designed Around the View

The home’s open kitchen and dining area overlook the water from nearly every angle. A folding glass wall connects the interior to a screened Muskoka room, which then opens to an outdoor dining area. The transition is deliberate: inside and outside are not treated as separate experiences.

That is one of the clearest lessons from the property. A successful waterfront home does not simply sit beside a lake. Its layout, windows, gathering spaces and access points should make the water part of daily life.

The home also embraces materials that belong in its setting. A dramatic living-room fireplace was handmade from Muskoka rock, while wood and stone throughout the property give the retreat a grounded, timeless quality. It feels polished, but not precious. That balance matters in a home intended for wet bathing suits, sandy feet, family meals and guests who stay longer than planned.

The Boathouse Is Not an Afterthought

Herjavec jokes that, if permitted, some Muskoka owners would have a boathouse and no house at all. Anyone familiar with Ontario cottage country understands the point.

A boathouse is more than storage. It can become the centre of waterfront life, depending on its condition, permitted use, access and relationship to the shoreline. Buyers should never assume that an existing structure can automatically be expanded, rebuilt or used differently. Shoreline work, docks, boathouses and other alterations may be subject to municipal rules and approvals from additional authorities.

That is why waterfront due diligence must go well beyond the interior finishes. The view may win your attention, but the shoreline, structures and legal use of the property deserve equal scrutiny.

Luxury That Brings People Together

The retreat includes a pizza oven, hot tub, sauna, barbecue areas and pickleball court. Impressive, yes, but their value is not simply that they photograph well. Each one creates a reason to gather.

That may be the home’s strongest design principle. The kitchen, dining spaces, Muskoka room, outdoor amenities, guest accommodations and waterfront are all arranged around time with family and friends. Even with substantial square footage and privacy, the property does not feel designed to keep people apart.

For Herjavec, who has spoken about growing up in a one-room apartment after his family came to Canada, the home also represents a full-circle achievement. For the couple’s children, it offers something different: a place to build a relationship with their Canadian roots through summers by the lake.

What Ontario Waterfront Buyers Should Look Beyond

You do not need a celebrity budget to apply the same thinking to a waterfront purchase in Muskoka, Simcoe County or elsewhere in Ontario. You do, however, need to investigate more than the listing photos.

• Shoreline and water access: Is the entry shallow, deep, sandy, rocky or weedy? Does it suit how you actually plan to use the property?
• Sun exposure and wind: The direction the property faces can affect natural light, swimming conditions, outdoor comfort and how you experience the lake throughout the day.
• Road and seasonal access: Confirm whether the road is privately or municipally maintained and what year-round access realistically involves.
• Water and wastewater systems: Understand the water source, septic system, maintenance history and testing required.
• Existing structures and permitted use: Verify that docks, boathouses, bunkies, additions and other improvements are properly documented. Do not rely on appearances or assumptions.
• Insurance and financing: Waterfront, seasonal access, older buildings and non-standard systems may affect coverage and lending. These conversations should happen early.
• Ongoing ownership: Budget for shoreline care, docks, water systems, winterization, access, tree management and the realities of maintaining a property exposed to the elements.

A beautiful lake view can create urgency. Good representation slows the decision down long enough to ask the questions that protect you.

Muskoka Gets the Headlines. Simcoe County Deserves the Conversation.

Muskoka may carry international name recognition, but exceptional waterfront and four-season living extend well beyond it. Across Simcoe County and the surrounding region, buyers can explore communities near Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching, Georgian Bay and the Trent-Severn Waterway, each with a different pace, shoreline, housing stock and level of access to services.

Barrie offers urban amenities alongside Kempenfelt Bay. Innisfil combines growing communities with Lake Simcoe access. Oro-Medonte offers privacy, land and proximity to both Barrie and cottage country. Orillia sits between Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching, while Severn and communities toward Georgian Bay open the door to a more rural, recreation-led lifestyle.

The right choice is not automatically the most famous lake or the grandest property. It is the home and location that support how you want to live, how often you will use it and what you are prepared to maintain.

The Real Appeal of the Herjavec Retreat

The Herjavec home is striking, but its appeal is surprisingly practical. It respects the land. It centres the view. It creates room for family and friends. It allows indoor and outdoor life to flow together. Most importantly, it is designed to be lived in.

That is the Canadian lakeside dream at its best. Not simply owning a house near the water, but building a life that makes meaningful use of it.

Considering a waterfront home, recreational property or four-season move in Simcoe County and the surrounding region? The Murree Group | MovingSimcoe.com Team provides clear, strategic guidance for real-life decisions, from property selection and local considerations to the due diligence that waterfront ownership requires.

Start the conversation before the view makes the decision for you.

Source: Homeworthy. This article is commentary and general information. Property features, permitted uses and approval requirements vary by location and should be independently verified