Home is where your story begins. Nothing elevates the style of your home, and simultaneously tells your story, as beautifully and uniquely as a custom gallery wall. By filling it with a gorgeous mix of paintings and photographs, black-and-white and color, your gallery wall is a personal statement about who you are and things you like and enjoy.

It's actually pretty easy to do – it just takes a little time, preparation and patience. Morris Home offers some simple tips to help you get started on creating your own custom gallery wall.

1. Have fun choosing a layout: Before you hang anything, play with a few layouts.

• Use painter's tape to outline the size of the wall to help you visualize
• Use your cell phone to take pictures of a few variations you like to compare later
• To start, use two to four pieces hung in the center and at the same height to serve as your anchor and focal point, then fill in from there

2. Consider placement: As you are designing your wall gallery, think about the placement of each piece, especially if you are hanging any art over a sofa or chair.

• When hanging artwork over furniture, leave at least eight inches between the base of the frame and the top of the furniture
• Remember, eye level is best – be sure to avoid hanging pieces too high or too low

>>> RELATED: Discover your style HERE! Take the Morris Home Style Quiz

3. Develop a palette

• The easiest technique is to choose a color that compliments your space, then use pieces in a similar color palette
• Create a more colorful, playful display by choosing pieces in a variety of colors
• Sticking with a black-and-white color scheme makes for a very bold, chic display

4. Create a wall story: Let your wall document and tell the story of your travels and experiences. It can be a real conversation-starter.

• You can use a combination of photos from recent trips and any artwork and prints you bought while on vacation.

5. Frame your work: The frames you choose to highlight the art for your gallery wall are just as important as the art itself.

• For a clean look, frames in the same style and color work well
• Mix and match frames to create the feeling that the pieces have been collected over time
• If you are mixing frames, use the same color mat on all the pieces to keep some form of consistency
• Distressed frames give an old-world vibe
• Unique frames, such vintage ones found at a flea market, add visual interest
• If you don't want them all the same but don't want them to look too ornate, go for white with some wood and metal accent frames

6. Go off-center: For a gallery wall arrangement that is a bit less formal, try hanging pieces to the left or right of center.

7. Mix it up: Elevate your gallery wall collection by using a variety of media – the more eclectic your wall, the more personalized and uniquely yours it will be. Go ahead and mix photos with drawings and paintings, and even throw in a canvas for more variation.

The important thing to remember when creating your custom gallery wall is that there is no specific formula for creating a great-looking display. Sure, it can be intimidating, but don’t overthink it. Just jump in and enjoy the creative process.