Winter always feels so long, especially in a basement apartment. My partner has poured hours into cultivating a well-lit and serotonin-inducing space, and the payoff has been immense for our little family.

On nice days, we open the windows and listen to the cats as they yip at the noises outside and run laps from the bedroom to the living room and back again. On cold days, we turn on hours of bird TV and watch them paw at the television while we make drinks and snacks before we jump back under t...