Born and raised in Seattle, interior design came naturally to McBreen. From an early age, he had been fascinated with the old furniture and antiques that belonged to his grandmother and the family of a lifelong childhood friend. Thus, it comes as no surprise that McBreen became known as a traditionalist in his design tastes, but at the same time, he insisted that home decorating be a gradual process and that his and his associates' designs ultimately be an expression of their customers' personal taste. Granted, a shared affinity toward the traditional would likely have been a prerequisite. 

In any case, McBreen's arrival at 905 East John Street, preceded by Del-Teet Furniture at 127 Broadway East and R.J. Skewes at 211 Broadway East and followed soon after by Keeg's at 1819 East Olive Way a couple years later marked a roughly half-century epoch during which the Broadway district would be known city-wide as "decorator's row." Proving there was ample room for competition (and cooperation) in the post-war period when new homes in need of furniture and decor were increasingly plentiful. By 1965, there were at least seven such shops organized as the "Broadway Fine Furniture Association."  As a group, they organized all sorts of tours, exhibitions, contests, and parties. McBreen in particular stood out as an "accomplished entertainer" who was "quite a cook" and "threw and frequented some of Seattle's most glittering parties" many of which occurred at his unassuming Capitol Hill home.