---
title: "Trade and vendor directory in Notion for interior designers"
url: https://notionforarchitecture.com/blog/trade-vendor-directory-notion-interior-designers
updated: 2026-10-27
author: Notion for Architecture
---

# Trade and vendor directory in Notion for interior designers

Build a trade directory in Notion as two linked databases: Vendors for suppliers (trade account, terms, lead times, contacts) and Trades for contractors (trade, rates, availability). Link items and purchase orders to vendors so each record shows your order history and reliability notes automatically.

## Key takeaways

- One record per vendor, referenced by relation, never retyped.
- Capture trade account details and terms once, in one place.
- Rate reliability from real orders, not memory.
- Keep suppliers and on-site trades in separate databases.

## What belongs in a vendor and trade directory?

Everything you would otherwise search your inbox for: who to call, what account number you have, what terms apply, how long things take, and what went wrong last time. Suppliers (who sell products) and trades (who do work on site) have different fields, so keep two databases.


## Which properties does a Vendors database need?

| Property | Type | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vendor | Title | Company name |
| Category | Multi-select | Furniture, lighting, fabric, tile, stone, rugs, hardware |
| Contact | Text, email, phone | Rep name and direct line |
| Trade account | Text | Account number or login hint (never store passwords here) |
| Trade discount | Number | As agreed with the vendor |
| Payment terms | Select | Deposit up front, 50/50, on delivery, account |
| Typical lead time (weeks) | Number | Average, with notes |
| Minimum order | Text | If any |
| Showroom or sample policy | Text | How to request samples |
| Items | Relation | Everything you specified from them |
| Reliability | Select | Great, OK, Watch |

Never store passwords or card details in a shared directory. Use a password manager.


## Which properties does a Trades database need?

| Property | Type | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Name or firm | Title | Individual or company |
| Trade | Select | Carpenter, electrician, plumber, painter, upholsterer, installer |
| Contact | Text, email, phone |  |
| Rate basis | Select | Day rate, hourly, quoted |
| Availability | Text or date | Next free window |
| Licence and insurance checked | Date | Check what your jurisdiction requires |
| Projects | Relation | Jobs they worked on |
| Rating and notes | Select, text | Quality, tidiness, timing |

Licensing and insurance requirements differ by place. Record the date you checked, not a claim that someone is compliant.


## How do you keep reliability ratings honest?

Ratings drift into gut feel unless tied to events. After each delivered PO or finished job, set Reliability and add a one-line note: delivered on time, short by one chair, damaged crate. Then use rollups to show the number of orders and how many arrived late.

1. On Purchase Orders, add a formula: late if actual delivery is after expected delivery.
2. On Vendors, roll up orders count and late count.
3. Add a formula: late percentage.
4. Review vendors with a high late rate before the next specification.

- Purchase order tracking: https://notionforarchitecture.com/blog/purchase-order-tracking-interior-design-notion
- Vendor lead time tracking: https://notionforarchitecture.com/blog/vendor-lead-times-interior-design-tracking


## Which views make the directory useful?

- By category: gallery or table grouped by Category, for sourcing.
- Open orders: Vendors with open POs, for chase calls.
- Needs review: Reliability = Watch.
- Account setup: vendors where Trade account is empty but you have ordered, to fix gaps.
- On-site contacts: Trades filtered to the active project, shareable with the contractor.


## How do you seed the directory quickly?

1. Start with your last three projects: Add every vendor and trade you used.
2. Import from a spreadsheet: Notion can import CSV into a database.
3. Fill in only the five essentials: Contact, category, terms, lead time, account.
4. Add the rest as you order: Details appear when you need them.


## Where InteriorDesignOS fits

InteriorDesignOS includes a Vendors section next to Selections, and its projects table records a contractor per project. Reliability scoring and a separate on-site trades database are additions you can build with the properties above.

- InteriorDesignOS: https://notionforarchitecture.com/interior-design-project-management
- Pricing: https://notionforarchitecture.com/#pricing


## FAQ

### How do I organise suppliers in Notion?

Use a Vendors database with category, contact, trade account, terms and lead time, and relate it to items and purchase orders so order history appears on each vendor.

### Should vendors and contractors be in the same database?

Separate them. Suppliers sell products and need terms and lead times; trades do site work and need rates, availability and insurance checks.

### Can I store trade account logins in Notion?

Avoid it. Store the account number if needed, and keep passwords in a password manager.

### How do I import my existing supplier list?

Export it as CSV from your spreadsheet and import it into a Notion database, then change property types as needed.

### Can I share the directory with my team?

Yes, by sharing the page or workspace with team members. Limit guest access to pages that contain only what they need.

## Sources

- [Notion: Import data into Notion](https://www.notion.com/help/import-data-into-notion)
- [Notion: Relations and rollups](https://www.notion.com/help/relations-and-rollups)