Hi wepain,
Welcome to InkscapeForum.com!

You can tell Inkscape how you want each object, shape, tool to look when you first draw it, using File menu > Inkscape Preferences. Please navigate to the Rectangle shape tool. Here you can decide whether you want the next rectangle that you draw to look like the last rectangle that you drew (Last used style); or whether you want rectangles to look the same, every time you draw one (This tool's own style). If you want it to look the same every time, please click that button. Then go to the canvas, and draw a rectangle, and make it look however you want it to look every time. While it's still selected, go back to Inkscape Preferences, and click the bar that says "Take from selection". Now you will see displayed the style (fill and stroke) just above and to the right of that bar.
And you can go through Inkscape Prefs and set the style for every shape and tool! Let us know how it goes
