Want something different than boring rocking chairs or lawn furniture to grace your beautiful front porch, or looking for a great and functional conversation piece for you deck or patio? Consider a Courting Board (aka Joggling Board)!

A Courting Board features a Southern Yellow Pine plank bench suspended between two sturdy cedar & hardwood end rockers. When sat upon, the bench “Joggles,” or bounces gently up/down while rocking side to side.

Courting Boards/ Joggling Boards have been popular in the South for centuries, particularly around Charleston, SC. Today they are found not only in parks, museums, and restaurants there, but also on the grand front porches and gardens of that beautiful city. Joggling Boards even have a St. Louis connection, as Joggling Boards were an attraction at the 1904 World’s Fair!

Legend maintains that “An unmarried daughter can never be found at the home that owns a Joggling Board.” In the 19th Century, courting couples would reportedly gently rock, sway, and exchange pleasantries from their respective ends of the bench. The bouncing/swaying motion of the board would eventually convey them each toward the middle of the Courting Board, where a more intimate moment could be shared.

A few experienced woodworking friends and I have begun building Courting Boards here in Kirkwood, in order to introduce these great rockers back to the Midwest. They may look deceptively simple, but perfecting the design and movement of these beautiful benches has been a labor of love. Our benches are made with premium lumber, including clear cedar, poplar, and Southern Yellow Pine. The rockers are coated with a dock-grade stain-sealer, and our planks are painted with ultra-premium Sherwin Williams Duration Exterior Paint.

The materials are expensive, but our labor is cheap! We have a few boards ready in the 12′-16′ range that we will sell for 0 each. We will custom-build you a Courting Board in any length from 8′-16′, in a range of plank colors, for only 9! Our adorable 4′ children’s rocking benches also double as the perfect nursery shelf… your choice of colors for only 9! FREE DELIVERY AND SETUP within 20 miles of the intersection of Big Bend/ S Geyer Rd. Add for deliveries between 21-40 miles one-way. Respond by e-mail with questions or for more information!
Video Rating: / 5

Do you have an awkward space near your staircase or entryway that could use some storage? Watch as House One editor and DIY expert Jenn Largesse builds a simple corner bench with storage near her stairs.

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We have a wraparound staircase in our entryway that creates an awkward nook where we’ve had a coat rack for years. But with the kids growing up, they’re not quite able to reach the hooks.
I’ve decided to build a custom bench that follows the angle of the staircase and then install hooks so they can make better use of the space for coats and backpacks.
Skill: 1/5
Cost:
Estimated time: 2 hours

For steps and cut list go to the This Old House website [https://www.thisoldhouse.com/e/22755477]

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Materials
Two ¾ x 2 x 4 plywood [https://thd.co/3K1nXlm]
Two 1 x 2 x 8 [https://thd.co/2T9ltZt]
1 ¼-inch pocket hole screws [https://thd.co/3726quS]
1 5/8-inch finish nails [https://amzn.to/37NiyQy]
Wood glue [https://amzn.to/3NittlF]
Wood filler [https://amzn.to/3iw5OjF]
Primer and paint [https://thd.co/3iWyu5e]

Tools
Table saw or circular saw [https://amzn.to/3tWdnqn]
Miter saw [https://amzn.to/3iP5vQY]
Drill/driver [https://amzn.to/36HcA3u]
Pocket hole jig [https://amzn.to/3uGlk1X]
Pneumatic nailer [https://amzn.to/372QWH1]
Orbital sander [https://amzn.to/3qRzEnc]
Paintbrush [https://amzn.to/3qNqfwH]

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How to Build a Corner Bench | House One | This Old House
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