Large horizontally oriented typewriter mats can be useful in that they create a buffer zone that covers the carriage movement and helps to prevent one from accidentally putting their beverages in the way of the carriage.

Reply to u/Charlea1776 at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1lx86q0/1950_smith_corona_sterling/ on how to mount a typewriter to a typing desk:

If you're a room or two away, the noise may not be too bad for sleeping children. Typing on a felted wool mat may also be helpful.

The specially made typing desks made of wood, often had holes drilled into them that allowed one to insert bolts from below that threaded into custom holes in the frame of the typewriter. Generally these only worked with standard machines which were manufactured to be used this way and it's reasonably obvious where the two holes were (usually about midway up the bottom of the frame). When not in use, the top of the desk flips over and hides the typewriter upside down near where one's legs would be positioned. When flipped in typing position, the top of the desk on which the typewriter sits is often lower (25-26" off the floor) than the rest of the desk top (28-29" off the floor).

I would suspect that your 1950 Sterling, being a portable machine, does not have the requisite mounting holes in the typewriter's chassis for allowing this to happen. Being a portable, these were designed to be put in the case and stowed into a closet or credenza when not in use.

If you have a later mid-century 20 gauge steel tanker desk, some of those were made with a cabinet section which had a springloaded metal platform which allowed the typewriter to swing up and out of the desk and into position. If this is the type you have, your typewriter might work with this sort of configuration, but these typically didn't have or require mounting hardware like the wooden versions.

https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/okjtab/typewriter_pad_recs/?sort=old

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C3DFX8U/

Stay-in-Place Machine Mat - 11" x 14" - Calms Vibration and Dampens Noise. Great for Sergers. Made in USA. for $13.99

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1caofcz/how_to_get_my_silentsuper_to_not_rotate_to_the/

Because of aging, the rubber feet of many typewriters can harden thereby reducing their friction against the table on which they sit. As a result, this can cause one's typewriter to "walk" across the table as they type for extended periods necessitating their recentering from time to time. To remedy this, one could use custom made typewriter mats with rubber bottoms to prevent this walking as well as to protect the table underneath. Other options which may also work are either wool or felt pads from fabric stores or from Chinese/Japanese calligraphy stationers. In Japanese these mats are called shitajiki.