Dated.

Many choose to take the cabinets to the ceiling. Bonus: no horrifying top-of-cabinet cleaning.

I actually like the look, depending upon how it's arranged.

I can't take my cabinets to the ceiling. Not only is my ceiling really bowed, but I have heat vents in different places.

Because I like the look, dated or not (like anything else, it'll come and go) I like the taller cabinets.

I threatened my cabinet maker within an inch of his life if he dared stagger my cabinets. Everything has to line up or it annoys me. It makes the job harder for the cabinet maker because then things really do have to line up.

And in any kitchen the floors, walls and ceiling are not going to be square. The cabinet maker has to fit things so that it all ends up looking square. In my job the ceiling presented challenges because the cabinets go to the ceiling now and there were issues with the moulding that only an expert could have handled. I was here and I saw that nothing was square, but it sure looks square now that it is all installed. An expert can do that.

So it's important to hire someone who will be at least as picky as you are on symmetry and sight lines. If you design things to line up and then the cabinet maker is a little off here and there it won't look good.

I personally think staggered cabinet heights make a kitchen appear busier. Also, it will tends to date a kitchen.

I have seen a few kitchens with 9 or 10 foot ceilings with a large range on its own wall where the elaborate hood looked good raised above the side cabinets. Unless you have all those conditions...no.

If possible and practical, have all of your cabinetry go to the ceiling. If you have extra high ceilings or are using 30" or 36" uppers, a focal point such as a ceiling height custom range hood looks really sharp. Staggered height cabinets with a standard 8' ceiling do not look good, especially if you take some of your cabinets to within 6"of the ceiling. It just makes the whole kitchen look like someone mis-measured.