Android : How to change the appearance of android list elements

Right now I am using this constructor for my arrayAdapter.

adapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(
            getActivity(), android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1,
            android.R.id.text1, articleTitles);

I would like to use a custom layout for the list elements instead of

android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1

I tried making a tableRow layout and inserting in the place of the simple_list_item but that did not work.

So my question is?

What steps are necessary in order to use a custom layout for list elements instead of one of the default android layouts.