Ask him. Show him a variety of quilts to find out what appeals to him. Ask him what colors are his favorite. I will always ask what pattern a person likes and let him/her choose the colors. The quilt is never just a surprise. I know from experience that this is wise. My grand-aunt gave me an expensive hand-quilted Mennonite quilt and I would never have chosen the rust/brown colors myself. I love the cream-colored back of the quilt which showed the hand-stitching better than the front and used that side most of the time.