Copyright 2009 San Francisco Chronicle For interior designer Scott Cunningham, an allergic reaction turned out to be a blessing in disguise. 'I became passionate about healthy green design about eight years ago,' he said, 'when I was becoming increasingly sensitive to the offgassing of petrochemicals - a significant ingredient in many materials used in our homes and offices.' Cunningham started his firm in the 1980s, initially working as a decorative painter. Over the past five years, Cunningham Design has evolved to focus more on interior projects. (Today, he estimates that painting is just 5 percent of his business.) He previously volunteered with the Green Resource Center in Berkeley and now lends his expertise to the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center. Since last year, he has been renovating an unusual structure: a castle in Pacifica. The building's last owner, Sam Mazza, passed away in 2002 and it is now operated by his foundation. 'This is a 100-year-old castle that we're restoring to a grand design,' Cunningham said. Two of Cunningham's proudest achievements, Palo Alto's LaBelle Day Spa and the 2007 Marin Designers Showcase, are noteworthy for their green features. The spa includes cork flooring, nontoxic paints, certified green plastic laminates and countertops made from Avonite's recycled collection. 'I love most green design that I see, mostly because I am so happy to see it happen - period,' he said. 'However, what really excites me most is to make rooms beautiful, refined and green.' -------------------------------------------------- The Cunningham cheat sheet Timeless classic: 'Antique oriental rugs. I love them in both modern and traditional interiors. They are green and minimal wear adds to the mystery of its history.' Branch out: 'I love taking bunches of cuttings from the trees in my yard to create over-the-top branch arrangements in large beautiful vases. A real plus - they are already there, the trees need to be pruned anyway and it costs nothing, but looks dramatic and beautiful. You can even add some cut flowers to the mix.' Color caution: 'It's an expensive mistake to get all of a room's color from the expensive items you may want to keep for a long time. Color is very transient and is best suited to paint, which is very changeable and inexpensive.' Go green: 'Restoration Timber is a great eco resource. They feature beautiful wood flooring milled from reclaimed and salvaged sources such as old barns and old wine barrels. The result is wood with 100-year-old character. They can fabricate to suit any project.' (restorationtimber.com) Good buys: 'The Antiques and Design Mall has tons of stuff, mostly on the low- and mid-price range. You can find all decades here - including '50s, '60s and '70s retro items. Many things may need a creative rehab, but it's a good place to find curious items that may put a smile into your designs. (sfantique.com) Where to splurge: 'Whenever I walk into the Candace Barnes showroom, it reminds me of the antiques shops of the Saint Germain neighborhood in Paris. Grand and refined items that are perfectly displayed; a great place to take clients.' (candacebarnes.com) -------------------------------------------------- Resources Cunningham Design, (415) 970-0541, cunninghamdesignsf.com 