We speak to the founder of Cloud Twelve, Notting Hill's holistic family members club

On a quiet mews just off Portobello Road, Cloud Twelve is a family members club that focuses on holistic wellbeing – the brainchild of former funds manager Jenya Di Pierro. It’s spread across three floors, offering everything from osteopathy to yoga. Cloud Twelve is a playground for children too; cooking classes, an interactive play area, a dedicated lounge and a crèche to keep all ages occupied.

Curated by Melt Design Hub, interiors put a Japanese twist on modern aesthetics – a reflection of Jenya’s previous home. The Wellness Clinic blends natural therapies and modern science to put together a personalised programme for its members that ranges from acupuncture to traditional Chinese medicine. The second-floor spa is decadent with cutting-edge technology to help you detoxify.

Taking a break from mapping out new ways Cloud Twelve can promote personal wellbeing, Jenya spoke to us about why mental health is as important as physical wellbeing.  

Cloud Twelve is a wonderful name – clearly Cloud Nine is passé. How did you come up with it and what does it offer?

Cloud Twelve is a one-of-a-kind wellness and lifestyle club in the heart of Notting Hill. It extends over three floors and has an interactive play-and-learn zone for families, an indulgent spa, a luxury salon, a nutritionally focused brasserie and a holistic wellness clinic. While the Kids Club is a members-only zone, the wellness facilities and brasserie are open to the public.

We wanted to offer busy Londoners a venue that looks after all aspects of their life outside work – quality time with friends and family, a healthy diet, natural skincare, a herbal pharmacy, a host of wellness facilities. Hence the name Cloud Twelve; “cloud” is something we associate with a perfect state of balance and happiness and “twelve” is a very holistic number, denoting 12 months in the year, the 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 hours on a clock face, the 12 disciples. It’s a magical number that represents the full cycle of life – the complete you. And it’s also way better than nine!

How did you come up with the concept?

Inspiration for Cloud Twelve came from many different avenues. I spent a decade living in Japan where I became deeply fascinated with their spa culture. In Japan, a visit to the spa is considered an integral part of your weekly routine – as vital as going to the gym. It provides emotional, physical and mental balance to help manage stress and detoxify the body.

After I moved to the UK, I began studying naturopathy and herbal medicine and discovered in-depth research on the power of plants and natural remedies, which have been passed down from our ancestors for centuries but have now become somewhat lost in our modern lives. Although we are living longer, our overall health is deteriorating. It was a revelation to see how simple some of these naturopathic principles are, yet how they can completely transform our wellbeing. I wanted to share this knowledge with everyone and create something realistic and achievable in the context of our busy lives.

And let’s not forget life’s little pleasures: eating well, laughing, having fun and the occasional glass of wine are often the best contributors to well-being. Hence the brasserie!

You spent a decade living in Japan. How has that influenced your own thinking and in turn the ethos behind Cloud Twelve?

Japan is my second home. There is so much I admire about Japan and its people – their respect for nature, appreciation for subtle beauty, mindfulness and stillness, and their dedication to teamwork and delivering the best result no matter what their mission in life is. I have tried to reflect these values in my business.

Feng shui is a philosophy you’ve used when designing the club. Is it another aspect that came from your time in Japan?

Feng shui is something I picked up from my trips to Hong Kong where every building and every room is constructed and arranged in relation to the flow of energy (chi).

You use sustainable brands in your salon and spa and you’ve got Erpingham House involved for Vegananuary. Do you think these will permanently change the way we think about our relationship to the planet?

Yes, absolutely. We are working with brands that have a strong commitment to making the world a better place. Collectively we can reach a critical mass to make a real difference and we already see it happening, as consumer and business behaviour is changing towards more conscious living.

How do you decide on which brands to work with?

Our partners are crucial to our business. I am a believer in working with rather than competing against each other. Partners come via different avenues – from local businesses to like-minded brands that get in touch with us – and we end up teaming up with those who share common values. Everything happens organically, as in life, “soulmate” brands always find each other!

You’ve talked about the amazing power of plants in medicine as well as sustenance. Do you think we in the UK are finally getting that message?

I hope so. Since becoming a herbalist, spreading the word about the healing properties of plants and naturopathic protocols that can help us stay healthy and balanced have become important goals for me.

After all, wellness has never been more important than it is now. It prevents disease, supports mental health and saves lives. The principles are simple, but the journey takes time and there are no shortcuts. This is the biggest challenge for a society that is used to quick fixes with the help of one pill. But, sadly, this kind of approach only masks the symptoms while the problem remains. The single most crucial thing in disease prevention and graceful ageing is the body’s self-healing mechanism, which can be potentiated by a healthy diet, herbs, supplements, toxin reduction, exercise, rest, stress reduction, love and care. Embracing these principles is the only way to beat chronic disease and live a healthy and happy life.

Cloud Twelve looks gorgeous – how did you go about choosing your architect and design team?

Thank you! We did an extensive search for an architect who would be able to work with our vision and create a home away from home using lots of textures and colours combined in an eclectic, fun and chic way. We wanted different rooms to have different vibes – for instance, we wanted the spa (the equivalent to the bedroom) to be calm and relaxing, the brasserie (the kitchen) to be vibrant and inviting and the kids club (the living room) fun and colourful. I was especially adamant about using warm bright colours to offset the rainy English weather! Our architect and designer was Melt Design Studio, though I did end up lending some of my furniture and art to the club. It’s nice that that’s the first thing that my friends pick up on – that the club looks like my house.

Would it be fair to say that the trend with wellness clubs is about the bigger picture – not just for the individual our couple, but for families, friends, and the planet itself.

Absolutely. It should always be all-encompassing, as everything is connected – the planet and all beings on it.

The Kids Club is an inspired addition – how important is it to have something for the entire family?

After spending 17 years in banking, I had a real appreciation for how challenging it was to find time to have it all, and I was sure other busy parents felt the same. When I was developing the concept for Cloud Twelve, there were no venues for the family as a whole, where kids and parents alike could have fun and no one’s experience was compromised. This became an important focus for me. Creating a club for everyone all under one roof was a unique concept for London back in 2018 when we launched and that’s still the case in 2022.

Why is Notting Hill the perfect location?

Notting Hill is ideal because it is culturally vibrant and filled with people who are socially conscious and passionate about natural health and beauty, mindfulness and sustainability – everything that we are striving to represent as a brand. It is also very residential, which helps us create a community.

Would you ever extend to other areas?

Yes, absolutely, we are thinking about a location outside London where we can run retreats and wellness facilities for people to detox and recharge regularly without needing to travel too far. My goal is to make wellness achievable, as I believe it is better to do a little but often than a lot infrequently.

You talk about having six main principles that relate to the concept of “conscious living”. The last of these is “Love”: is that the ultimate mantra for you?

Yes. Love informs everything that we do as humans. It’s what makes us complete. Love is all there is.

@cloudtwelveclub