I have a modern-style glass-topped coffee table in my LR, and part of the design is a chrome plated rod that touches the floor.

I have hardwood floors, and when I move the table a bit forward or back (usually when I work on the laptop or when I'm eating dinner on the table--watching TV), the tip of the rod scratches the wood floor, and part of the underside of the rest of the metal table also is scratching up, too. I have had the table for several years, but all my previous residences had carpeting in the LR, so I never noticed the problem.

I think I might look for a small area rug to put beneath it to help protect the floor. I have tried the clear bumper pads, adhesive felt pieces, the adhesive cork pieces, and nothing will adhere properly to the rounded edge of the chrome plated rod. I have seen plastic end caps at the hardware store, but those are available only in black and white, so those won't work style-wise. So I'm thinking a small rug atop the hardwoods is my best bet.

But do I really need to use a pad beneath it? It won't be moving around too much, or at least not enough that it would potentially cause someone to slip.

I want to protect the hardwoods (installed just a couple of years ago), and I have heard that rug pads can discolor wood floors. (I have already noticed that a rubber-backed runner I got from Target for the vinyl-flooring entry hallway did discolor the floor.)

I'm thinking that the area rug will be just slightly larger than the coffee table, which is 2 feet by 4 feet.