Front Porches Are Back. And hotter than ever, say home design pros at HGTV. In new home constructions and in renovations porches are increasingly must-have features, up there with refashioned kitchens and stylized bathrooms.

People, especially Boomers, love their Grandmas; but they want their porches to be way bigger than hers. Think giant wrap-arounds with enough open space to drive a semi through...or least enough to accomodate too-many-to-count chairs and 2 and 3-seat rockers.

Bold colors are in. So are decorative oversized columns. Porches are terrific for shade and enjoying the outdoors tic-free, but they're design statements too. No doubt Grandma would still enjoy them; but, with their multi-color palettes and high-design details, she might not fully recognize them.