They Had Nowhere to Go But Up

Santa Barbara — Building a luxury home on a gritty back-alley patch measuring only 20 feet by 20 feet seemed preposterous on its face. But Neil Ablitt and his wife, Sue, just moved into their pint-sized palace, a whimsical four-story tower that suggests the hand of Dr. Seuss. Each floor has just one room — in ascending order: bedroom, kitchen, living room — all atop the ground-level garage. It's not an arrangement for the weak-kneed. To reach the rooftop patio and its panoramic view, the Ablitts must climb 72 steps from the ground.