This has happened on a few occasions. I'm not quite sure whether Dad is forgetting the names of the rooms he is in, forgetting where certain pieces of furniture are located or is confusing this apartment layout with his previous apartment. However, there is another way to look at this...
Looking at this from Dad's point of view:
In this instance Dad might have been misdirected by my saying 'white shelves'. He did question that and it appears he headed to the bedroom, perhaps not registering that I had said, "laundry room". In the closet in his bedroom he does have a white storage cabinet with shelves, and there are some white wire shelves. Either of these places could have been a logical place for his camera. When I said, "washer and dryer" Dad was clearly confused. In his mind he was heading to the place with the white shelves (his closet) and he knows there isn't a washing machine or dryer in there. It all became clear when he finally realized or registered that I was suggesting the laundry area off of the den.
I think we have all had instances where we have been told one thing, but register it a bit differently. Have you?