Repairable - no way as good as solid wood. Cleanable - far better than wood with polyurethane. Yes it is a finish but is is not nearly as susceptible to dings, scratches as polyurethane covered wood. Look - I used to hate thermofoil and am shocked that I am putting it in my new house - even if it is just a secondary bathroom. But from a practical standpoint - foil is pretty good - especially the good stuff. The stuff I am getting is on MDF - which is probably pretty typical.

no, do not peel it off I can not answer that as I have never actually done it. The FINISH should last a good 10 years or better, the thermo stuff, I don't know.

I have had thermafoil cabinets for the past 7 years (we bought this house, I didn't put them in) and I love them! We have two young kids. I can say that they are the easiest cabinets I have ever owned as far as cleaning. Nothing sticks to them and wiping them up is a breeze. They also don't seem to get that grimy "halo" that some painted cabinets can get...at least mine have not. I wouldn't paint them just because you would probably risk scrubbing the paint off when you do try to clean them. Unless someone on the paint forum has a paint that will stick well to plastic which is basically what thermafoil is.

@jdesign_gw The multiple latches that were broken were plastic push-to-open pieces. The small plastic pegs that stick out of the hardware were broken off on doors all over the showroom, making the doors completely non-working. One display had uplift doors that were too stiff to open without enormous effort. I would imagine a real kitchen would receive just as much wear as a showroom over years of use. Do you follow up with clients as to their long-term outcome with the cabinets you've installed? I was thrilled with my Ikea closet when first installed. A year later, not so much. I'm glad you've had a successful business with Ikea products. Perhaps your custom work includes your own door-opening hardware that isn't failing prematurely like some of the hardware that comes standard on Ikea doors. By the way, I ended up getting 3 drawers instead of more shelves to add to my longest shelf area as I feel the box construction of the drawers will better prevent sagging. I did notice that the Ikea kitchen cabinetry stayed within a narrower width tolerance for all the units available versus the closet systems, and I wish they would restrict width on the Pax closet system as well to protect customers from the sagging shelf problem I am facing. I loved one of the 3D laminate option on the kitchen doors, and the tolerances of the door clearances and design options looked great compared to other displays of frameless cabinetry brands I've seen. Pros and cons are mixed with Ikea, in my opinion. I've bought a lot of things there, but the closet shelving was my most expensive purchase and a little disappointing in the long-term. I will doubtless shop there again, just not for cabinetry or shelves unless I hear they have upgraded to prevent some of the quality issues I've experienced.