Objects of Freedom
- July 31, 2025
- by Raad Ghantous
What Raad Ghantous Reaches For When He Needs to Feel Alive
From a rare convertible to an underwater escape, these are the tangible touchstones that unlock a sense of liberation, nostalgia, and pure presence. Freedom isn’t just a concept—it’s a feeling you can touch, drive, breathe in. For Raad Ghantous, that feeling lives in the details. In the purr of a vintage Thunderbird. In the quiet weightlessness of a scuba dive. In a log cabin frozen in time. These objects aren’t just possessions— they’re portals. To the past. To clarify. To the truest version of yourself. Here, Raad shares three personal favorites that evoke a raw and undeniable sense of freedom—moments, machines, and memories that remind him what it means to be untethered.
1964 Black Thunderbird Convertible
Freedom has a growl. And in Raad’s world, that sound rumbles from a 1964 Thunderbird Convertible in classic black and white—a car that defined an era and still turns heads. It’s the only year “Thunderbird” was spelled out across the hood like a statement piece. Only 92,000 were made that year. Just 10% were convertibles. Today, fewer than 500 are still on the road. Raad’s love for it is partly personal—his name in Arabic means “thunder,” and his late father always dreamed of owning one. This car is a tribute and a thrill. With its long, swooping lines and understated elegance (it made cameos in Goldfinger and Highlander), it’s not just a vehicle. It’s an identity. An escape pod. A rumbling declaration that sometimes freedom doesn’t need to be fast—it just needs to feel like you’ve arrived.
Scuba Diving in Key Largo
Freedom doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it exhales. You land in Fort Lauderdale just after sunrise, pick up a Mustang convertible, roll the top down, and hit the road with a cup of coffee and egg bites in hand. Two hours later, you’re submerged 40 feet under the sea off the coast of Key Largo. At Amoray Dive Center, the visibility is crystal clear, the ocean calm, and the silence total—except for the sound of your own breath bubbling to the surface. Raad describes it as a complete reset: two dives Saturday, two dives Sunday, and back to real life by Monday. For those few hours underwater, nothing else exists. It’s a floating meditation, suspended in neutral buoyancy where time slows and the mind lets go. For Raad, scuba isn’t a hobby. It’s a portal. A way to come back to himself. A silent rebellion. A pressure equalizer. Pure, personal freedom.
The Big Bear Log Cabin
Nestled in the San Bernardino mountains, Raad’s Big Bear log cabin is less a getaway and more a time capsule of stillness. He found it by chance—on a lark with his dad, they pulled into a repurposed drive-in theater and met a local named Bill Henderson, who showed them cabins around the valley. One stood out: a full-log 1985 kit with no drywall, no room divisions. Just space. Like a giant bunkhouse that sleeps seven comfortably. Inside: a deer head over the mantle, a Coca-Cola mirror, an RCA TV on legs, a wood-burning fireplace, and a California king-size bed with a gold swan faucet in the bathroom. It’s kitschy, yes. But also sacred. During the isolation of COVID, it became Raad’s fortress of solitude—a sanctuary in a citadel. When the world shut down, the cabin opened up. And in the middle of the noise, it gave him the rarest gift: silence.
About the Author:
Raad Ghantous is a hospitality design visionary, creative strategist, and founder of Raad Ghantous & Associates, a boutique firm known for transforming luxury environments into timeless experiences. With over two decades of global expertise spanning interior architecture, branded guest experiences, and high-end hospitality, F&B, Wellness, and residential projects, Raad brings a bold, narrative-driven approach to placemaking—where aesthetics, function, and emotional resonance meet. As the founder of The Raad Life, a lifestyle platform and forthcoming magazine, Raad leads conversations around reinvention, longevity, and generational culture. His voice is grounded in wisdom, edge, and unapologetic authenticity—traits that carry into every space he designs and every story he tells. Whether consulting for iconic hospitality brands or redefining what it means to age with style and purpose, Raad’s work stands at the intersection of legacy and innovation. Learn more at raadghantous.com and follow The Raad Life for curated content that inspires life beautifully lived.