If you hire an architect or GC, you will end up with an interior that looks like a freshly renovated apartment, with the obligatory open floor plan that shows off your kitchen clutter, 50 can lights in an attempt to offset the shade-casting of can lights, the kitchen bar where nobody ever sits, black and white paint job, and plastic flooring. You may not even want these things but you'll be steered toward them because these are the cheapest way to "renovate" a space and because it's in style, which is the same thing.
The alternative to spending all this money to turn an original craftsman home into a modern apartment is to embrace the character of the house, and adapt your envisioned ideal life to the house instead of the other way around. People in the early 20th century weren't stupid, they just lived in a different way that is no less valid than the ways we live today. In fact, their lifestyles were cheaper, produced far less garbage, and relied less on disposable gadgets and appliances. What if we could benefit from adopting some of their practices, using this as an opportunity to become wealthier, healthier, and less wasteful?
Closets are too small? How about questioning how many clothes you really need and actually use? What if winter coats went to the attic during the summer and shorts / flip flops went there in the winter? What about under-bed storage boxes, extra dressers, or wardrobes? It can be done and it is routinely done by people who live in old houses. Go minimalist!
Kitchen is awkward? Maybe your 15 appliances that didn't exist a few decades ago are to blame, or maybe having enough drinking glasses for 50 people could be to blame. Maybe an appliance shelf, some roll-out cabinet racks, or some simple rearrangement could improve things. How about a little cutting board island or a pots and pans hanging rack? Could you put some items like plates, glasses, etc. in an antique china cabinet in the dining room? In general, ask how much money could you save if you quit buying new things to bring into your kitchen and require space and how much kitchen stuff do you never use?
Everyone has an Open Floor Plan and you don't? First of all, recognize that OFPs were not a genius way to make a small space bigger, they were an attempt to save money by not having to build and finish another wall. Second, recognize that living in an OFP involves constantly being in view of the dirty dishes, the stained hand towel, the clean dishes piled on the drying rack, some groceries that were left out, and maybe a trash can. An OFP also means not being able to hear the TV or a phone conversation when someone else in the house runs the microwave or dishwasher, and hearing the refrigerator kick on and off while you're trying to read a book on the couch. The people who built your house planned to keep the mess, smells, and noise contained to the kitchen, and to do their entertaining in the living room and dining room. The LR and DR were often separated so that in the event of parties there were multiple rooms where people could converse without having to yell. Maybe give the old way of doing things a try?
Bathroom is awkward? Your bathrooms may have tight walkways but our slimmer, more physically fit ancestors navigated through them effortlessly. They also didn't need to keep hundreds (thousands?) of dollars worth of beauty products and supplements in closets and they didn't have 5 sets of towels they rotated through. Also, their bathrooms were small enough that they weren't drafty. I'll NEVER own a house with a large bathroom again, because it's just so much more comfortable to step out of the shower in a cozy place. Your architect might recommend killing a bedroom to make a large luxury bathroom plus closet, and you should hold onto your wallet instead.
Instead of turning your craftsman home into another bad late modern style remod, focus your attention and money on the exterior improvements. When you fix the siding, take the opportunity to run new wiring and insulate all the wall cavities! Pick a vintage color combination to make the place really pop from the street. When you replace the roof, consider spending a little extra to obtain longer-lived materials that are a better deal and better for the environment, like 35-year metal roofing or tile in light colors. Then pick vintage colors for the interior instead of trying to do what's stylish for crappy apartments. Consider refinishing your hardwoods too! Crappy apartment floor plans are everywhere, but a nice well-kept old house is a treasure, because it lets you live in a different way. Either lean into that awesomeness or buy a modern garage-with-house-attached.
