David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

The Living Room in the new wing at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston is a place where guests can meet with museum staff members.

Jennifer S. Altman for The Boston Globe

At his home in Manhattan, artist Mingwei Lee, who inspired the Living Room project, showed items he plans to share as host of the Living Room on the museum's opening day.

David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

Staff will welcome guests in the room and educate them about the museum.

The Boston Globe

The Guest Book, "Libro Azzurro" by artist Stefano Arienti, lets visitors make their mark.

The Boston Globe

Kristin Pishvanov, a new visitor service representative at the Gardner Museum, sat with the canaries.

David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

The two canaries will live in the Living Room space just to the right of the museum’s new entrance.