After a long and very cold winter, cabin fever is reaching a screeching pitch. With spring literally just around the corner, the days are getting longer, the temperatures rising, and before we know it, the outdoors will be beckoning us Midwesterners.

And one of our favorite ways to enjoy the warmer weather? On the front porch. These Midwestern must-haves have been a staple in communities across the country for years. In fact, porches remain the most common outdoor feature on new homes, according to the National Association of Home Builders, based on a survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. The data shows 67% of about 1 million single-family homes started in 2024 included porches. They are even more popular on new builds than patios and decks, the survey shows.

When COVID hit and people were told to stay home, many headed out to their front porches — and they are still heading there. The reasons are many: fresh air, relaxation and a sense of community, whether that means a couple of rocking chairs to watch the world go by or going full-on front porch living with a grill, table, sofa, rugs and a ceiling fan for hot summer days, along with a space heater for crisp fall nights.

Shannon Heckman, who co-owns Happenstance Vintage in Aurora with her mom, Phyllis Barber, sees customers browsing the shop’s outdoor area for items such as bistro sets and plant stands to enhance front porch living. “It’s anything somebody can repurpose in a new way on their porch,” said Heckman. “People are so imaginative, it’s refreshing. I’ve seen old hanging light fixtures turned into plant hangers.

“I feel like it’s just an extension of their home,” Heckman said. “They’re eating outside on their front porch, they’re having their morning coffee outside on their front porch, they’re having their down time. I have a close neighbor who sits on her front porch a lot during warmer months to watch her show on her laptop and to watch what’s going on in the neighborhood. She likes to color with her pencils and coloring books outside in quiet time to bring her brain down from the day. We actually call it porch time. She says, ‘Are you up for some porch time?’ and we’ll sit and catch up. I think there’s a resurgence of going back to disconnecting from digital life and having a nice place to do that.”

“Porches are an extension of the house that still have a cozy feeling,” said Erkki Sillaste, who co-owns DSH Painting and Remodeling. “They might be covered, or might not be, but you’re stepping into a threshold area where there’s still exposure to the outdoors while not fully on the ground.”

Sillaste recently replaced a bulky railing on a front porch with a more minimal design that offered the homeowner a better view of a nearby lake. He has also added several upstairs balconies, creating second-floor porches so homeowners can enjoy the outdoors right off their bedrooms.

“I think people are being called to experience the outdoors again,” Sillaste said.