Amanda Batula is entering a new era, and she's making it look very good. If you somehow haven't heard her name yet, here's the scoop: she's one of three "bed bugs" — the nickname she shares with friends Ciara Miller [1] and former cast member Paige DeSorbo [2] — on Bravo's "Summer House." The reality series follows a group of friends spending their weekends in the Hamptons. Batula is also a fashion icon, who makes casual look effortlessly chic, and a proud dog mom to Reese and Ryder, two rescue pups she shares with former husband Kyle Cooke. (Batula and Cooke announced their split back in January.)
But we're not here to talk breakups, we're here to highlight Batula's new chapter and her incredible taste. I recently sat down with her — and her dog Reese — to chat about her interior design style and the cozy essentials she's loving right now. "I've never lived alone in my life . . . but once I had my own space, I was so excited. It's very freeing," Batula says, noting that she now gets to shower whenever she wants, eat (primarily Taco Bell) wherever she wants, and decorate however she wants.
"I've never lived alone in my life . . . but once I had my own space, I was so excited. It's very freeing."
She's also introducing more color into her home. "I haven't been able to fully dive into color, but I'm doing it in a way where I'm comfortable with it," she says, citing Emma Chamberlain and Kendall Jenner [3]'s homes as inspiration. "It doesn't feel like everything is perfectly in place. It feels like you can go there and actually live there comfortably."
That sense of comfort also carries into Batula's partnership with Lovesac [4]. "It has to feel manly. That's the kind of couch I like to cozy up on," Batula jokes. "It has to be big and cozy. I don't like those couches with tiny little thin backs or sides."
From the water bottle she brings to the Hamptons while filming "Summer House" to the coffee machine she says is worth the splurge, Batula shares the essentials she's currently loving.
Amanda Batula's Affordable Must Have
Batula says one of her favorite little luxuries at home is nugget ice — the crunchy kind that makes every drink instantly taste better. She first fell in love with it thanks to the nugget ice machine in "Summer House," and now she fills her Brumate Water Bottle [5] ($45) with it whenever she can. "I fill this up with nugget ice and water and I can't get enough of it," Batula says. "I love nugget ice, it just makes everything taste better."
Amanda Batula's Investment Must Have
When it comes to furniture, Batula says comfort is nonnegotiable. Her ideal couch needs to be oversize, deep, and somewhere she can curl up for a full night of binge-watching TV with her dogs. That's why she loves the modular design of the Lovesac Sactionals Couch [6] ($5,751, originally $8,215). "It has to be big and cozy," Batula says. She also appreciates the flexibility of the modular design, adding, "I love having a couch that can grow with you."
Amanda Batula's Morning Must Have
Batula says her mornings almost always start with coffee, and her Terra Kaffe Demi Compact Fully Automatic Espresso Machine [7] ($795) makes the process effortless. "It grinds the beans fresh and you just push a button and it makes espresso or an americano or whatever you want," Batula says. "It also looks so good on my counter."
Amanda Batula's Nighttime Must Have
At night, Batula focuses on creating a relaxing atmosphere that helps her unwind after busy days. One of her favorite tools for doing that is the Hatch Restore 3 Sunrise Alarm Clock [8] ($170), which fills her bedroom with soft light and nature sounds. "I love turning the red light on when I go to bed," Batula says. She'll also play the frog and cricket sound setting, adding, "Even though I'm in New York City, it makes me feel like I'm back at home in nature."
Amanda Batula's Travel Must Have
Batula says she rotates between four go-to fragrances, but one scent that never gets left behind is the Juliette Has a Gun Not A Perfume Travel Spray [9] ($34). "Juliette Has a Gun is my everyday scent," Batula says. She also gives an honorable mention to the Sofie Pavitt Face Micellar Makeup Removing Cleansing Pads [10] ($24). "It's so annoying traveling with micellar water and cotton pads," Batula says. "These come pre-soaked, so they're incredible."
Haley Lyndes [11] is a shopping writer and editor with more than seven years of experience in the publishing space. Specializing in home and lifestyle, she covers everything from furniture and mattresses to beauty products and fitness gear. Her writing has appeared in BuzzFeed, Travel + Leisure, and Real Simple.