Once you have established a "yes" pile of samples, go back and evaluate them. What are the three main colors you chose? Are they floral patterns, stripes, and plaids or simply tone-on-tone monochromatic color choices? These choices indicate the colors and patterns that are right for you. If you find you have chosen formal-style fabrics but you feel a formal style would not be appropriate for your current lifestyle, then use those formal fabrics sparingly. For example, incorporate them as accents such as fabric for pillows, drapery trim, table runners, or even a "throw." This enables you to combine the beauty of formal fabrics with the practicality of simpler, washable fabrics.

In the twenty years I have been using this test with clients, I have discovered an amazing secret: the choices you make will consistently hold true for your lifetime because you are who you are, and you are not suddenly going to wake up tomorrow and be someone else. The colors, pattern styles, and textures that you have a positive emotional response to will always appeal to you. So go ahead—trust your instincts.