When a Set Dec Swap Unexpectedly Saved the Day

We had a tricky scene recently, a crucial conversation in a character's sparsely decorated apartment, meant to convey a sense of transient living. Our initial set dressing called for sleek, modern, almost impersonal furniture, think minimalist, expensive, but lacking warmth. The problem was, when we started blocking, the actors felt completely disconnected from the environment; it felt too sterile, like a showroom, not a temporary home. What we tried and didn't work was attempting to add small, personal 'clutter' to those minimalist pieces, but it just looked... messy, not lived-in.